The trials of being twice blessed
by Bluley
Summary: COMPLETE - Wyatt is an evil, power mad tyrant right? Right? - What if Chris got it wrong.
1. Default Chapter

_Still playing truant from my other story, so I thought I'd try this instead._

* * *

"Oh Fuck!" Wyatt watched the portal on the attic wall as it closed, obscuring the view of his rapidly departing brother.  
  
He sighed with frustration and annoyance before walking over to the dying Bianca who glared defiantly at him. "He's safe from you now, you can't hurt me any more"  
  
Wyatt raised an eyebrow "You want to bet?" he sighed again, wearily this time, before adding "Now would not be a good time to tempt me" he looked at her for a moment then waved his hand, the large wooden splinter flew from her body, smashing into the attic wall. She gasped in pain expecting to die, but instead found her breathing become easier as the hole in her chest magically healed. She looked at Wyatt in amazement "Why?"  
  
"Would you believe me if I told you because I am not evil?" Off her scared look, he added, "No, I didn't think so, no one ever does"  
  
He pulled her to her feet. "Ok so the plan was, you would go get Chris, take away his powers and bring him back safely to me. Call me stupid but I can't see how you sticking your hand in my chest and trying to kill me helped that plan in any way." Bianca confused, tried to speak "Oh save your breathe, you went back, he looked at you with his big, green, puppy eyes and said if you loved him you would help him fight big nasty me. Am I right?" She nodded dumbly staring at Wyatt in amazement.  
  
"No, I can't see that far, I just know Chris, for some insane reason everyone is always, so eager to protect him" he shakes his head ruefully "...even me"  
  
He raised his hand again, but stopped on noticing her flinch in anticipation of death. "Its OK, I'm just sending you home, you are no use to me anymore"  
  
Unable to help herself she blurted "Aren't you going to kill me?"  
  
"What my future sister-in-law?" the thought obviously amused him, he laughed at some private joke, "My mother would spin in her grave" and with that he waved his hand and she was gone.  
  
He walked around the attic for a while, deep in thought, drawing comfort from the familiar surroundings, to a casual observer it might have appeared as though he were procrastinating, but that couldn't be possible, for one thing there were never casual observers in the vicinity of the Great Wyatt Halliwell, and for another, well everyone knew that he was daunted by nothing. He sat down and waited a little longer before finally murmuring  
  
"Hear these words. Hear my cry spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the Great Divide."  
  
The effect was immediate and white magical lights began to appear, slowly coalescing into a very irritated looking ghost who looked at him expressionless for a moment before saying. "Well that went well"  
  
"Hello to you too, Mom" 


	2. Part 2

_Oh dear. I was trying to be thought provoking and enticing in part 1, but after reading the reviews, I think I just about managed confusing. I've added another chapter to try and make it a bit more intelligible. Thank you so much for the reviews and the kind comments. Willow2 and Calen I really hope this second part helps, although as I am in the same position as Emma15 regarding Wyatt's evilness I am not sure it will._

* * *

"Don't you '_**Mom**_' me, what the hell do you think that you were doing"  
  
He had been expecting this, but the force of her anger shook him anyway. "I simply did what you asked me to do"  
  
"I ASKED YOU TO TRY AND KILL YOUR BROTHER?!" Obviously that had been the wrong response.  
  
"I wasn't going to kill him..." off her look "probably, well not completely anyway, its just...its just, he drives me nuts with his holier than thou attitude. I've got better things to be doing than dragging his sorry ass from the past to stop him being killed. If you ask me Gideon's welcome to him"  
  
He sees her face, conscious that he has gone way too far. "I was joking" she says nothing and he hates that, in his life he has faced and defeated hundreds of terrifying, blood curdling, sadistic demons but only Piper's silent treatment has ever managed to unnerve him.  
  
He tries to read her expression and realises that she is glaring at him pointedly. "Oh sorry" He flicks his fingers muttering a spell under his breath.  
  
She immediately becomes corporeal, flexing her fingers, stretching her limbs, twisting her neck, she stands there for a moment just enjoying the sensation of being solid. He watches her, fondly, but it doesn't last long, she is on a mission and quickly gets back to business, moving to a chair accross from him she sits down and the real pressure begins.  
  
"So, what are you going to do about him now"  
  
"Me! Nothing. I've got an empire to run and if he wants to piss about in the past working on his master plan I say good luck to him. To be honest, I'm glad he's finally out of my hair. You asked me to drag him back....  
  
"I think you'll find I asked you to **bring** him back"  
  
"....ok. You asked me to **bring **him back, which I did. So that's me finished" In his mind he is willing her not to say it, but he knows that this wish is futile, knows that she is far too ruthless to let him escape.  
  
"What about your promise to me.." Damn, she had said it.  
  
"Oh no not again, not the death bed promise, again. That's not fair Mom"  
  
She ploughs on remorselessly. "You promised me that you would always look after him for me and keep him safe"  
  
"That's only because I felt bad that I couldn't save you, and by the way whose fault was that? It wasn't my idea to bind my powers"  
  
"Well you shouldn't have used them to terrorise Mrs Johnston and...and we are not having this discussion again. The point is was that promise a lie?"  
  
He grits his teeth "No, but I'm severely tempted to use Chris's time portal to go back and kick my stupid gabby self in the head. If I had known how much trouble the little runt was going to be and how often you would use this to manipulate me."  
  
"You would have still made the promise" She smiles at him lovingly  
  
"Maybe.." He pauses, hearing the thoughts of a demon outside the door, its Loquarious one of his chief body guards, he listens for a moment, then casually flicks his fingers and Loquarious is no more, It was a shame, he had been a loyal guard, but he had heard too much and Wyatt could not afford any weakness to be exposed.  
  
He tries again to change the subject. "How's Leo?"  
  
"Since I'm dead and you're not, shouldn't I be asking you how your **dad** is?"  
  
He raises his eyebrows. "Come off it Mom, since the pair of you broke the witch/whitelighter rules and smashed the mortal/elder rules you don't expect me to believe that you are finally abiding by the dead/undead rules." He smiles as her silence confirms his theory. Ha, he knew it, that information might come in useful, but then his smile fades, thoughts of Leo always hurt.  
  
Piper sees and understands his change of expression "You could call for him, I know that he would love you to"  
  
"Oh no. He made himself quite clear. His insistence that he never wanted to hear from my evil, murdering, no-son-of-his, self ever again, was positively eloquent, it's a shame you missed it"  
  
"He was very upset at the time, with may I say very good reason. He misses you, a lot"  
  
"Whatever. Look Mom I really do have to go. Tomorrow I need to welcome Leprechauns and Slovacci demons into my alliance. I realise that none of my family...." He breaks off noticing how totally unimpressed his high powered negotiations make her and for some reason it amuses him and makes him love her more.  
  
"Other people might think the fate of the entire magical world ranks higher than one infuriating brother"  
  
"Other people would be wrong and probably not the mother of two very infuriating sons".  
  
She reaches up to place her hand on his cheek. "Please Wyatt. I miss watching over him, and the nightmare of history repeating itself has hung over us, me and your Dad, for the past 23 years. You are the only one left who can save him, not to mention he is back there trying to so very hard to save you" She can see him wavering.  
  
"If you won't do it for us, do it for yourself. He is all you have left and underneath it all, I know how much family means to you".  
  
She is looking earnestly at him now, her eyes full of pleading and love and he can't resist her, he never could. He wonders why he even bothered to go through this dance of opposition the outcome had never been in any doubt.  
  
He kisses the top of her head. "OK, I'll think of something, I promise. But just for you. Not Chris, not **Leo** and definitely not me, just you. Satisfied?"  
  
She smiles, her relief and blind faith in him transparent. He flicks his fingers and her body returns to its ethereal state, and as she begins to fade away he just catches her faint reply:  
  
"And don't leave it so long next time. I miss my oldest baby too"  
  
One day, he promises himself, one day he will manage the last word.

* * *

"The Halliwell Alliance grows stronger"  
  
Graden watches Leo baulk at the statement. He knew that he would, knew that Leo hated that title and everything that it had come to represent and a part of Gaden, the nasty unworthy, unelder-like part of him thinks _**good**_. If Leo hadn't broken the rules, married a witch, had a child, they wouldn't all be in the sorry state that they currently were.  
  
He turns his attention back to the debate. Colistan is still talking  
  
"Our sources indicate that the Leprechauns and Slovacci demons will be joining tomorrow" There are murmurs of dismay around the hall, the news isn't unexpected but until recently the Leprechauns had been considered staunch allies.  
  
Graden, however, is excited "We have an insider in the alliance?"  
  
Coliston looks a little shifty "Not exactly, we were sent an invitation to attend"  
  
"Oh. Are we going to go" They all turn to look in disbelief at the young elder who had uttered this and he shrinks beneath their scrutiny, not knowing what he has said that is obviously so very wrong  
  
Graden takes pity on him.  
  
"No we won't be attending. Tiathon, Wyatt's second in command, will have issued the invitation. The last time Elders accepted an invitation from him he slaughter them all, well almost all" He looks at Leo, before adding with only the slightest touch of malice. "Leo of course could go...."  
  
They are all looking at him now, a few with understanding and compassion, some with open hostility and resentment.  
  
"...nothing will happen to Leo"  
  
What can he say, they are right. Nothing would happen to him. Wyatt had made it perfectly clear when the Odemphy killed Phoebe 5 years ago. He destroyed the demons, their families, their clan, their associates, their homes and culture, all wiped out in one night. Whatever hostile feelings Wyatt may have had for his family the message was abundantly clear, he would permit no one else to touch them.  
  
Leo considers pointing out that Tiathon hadn't been working for Wyatt at the time of the Elder massacre but thinks better of it. Most of the other elders resent his presence there any way, suspecting him of spying for Wyatt. He feels very old and very tired and not for the first time wonders what he is doing there. Their numbers shrink daily as magical group after magical group leave to join Wyatt's alliance and the protection it affords. He had hung on, publicly affirming his allegiance to the Elders in an attempt to balance Wyatt's treachery. Yet privately he accepts that the Elder system he had known and respected is long gone, leaving behind this bickering petty travesty.  
  
He notices that the room is silent and looks up to see everyone still watching him awaiting his response. "Fine, if the council wish me to attend and report on the meeting I have no objections. Now, if you will all excuse me". He gets up suddenly needing to be alone, it is late and he feels too weary to stay.  
  
He walks slowly back to his room, trying to work out how he feels at the prospect of seeing Wyatt again. It had been three years, the day he had finally given up on him and accepted that this evil entity was no longer his little boy. He is so deep in thought he doesn't notice that his room is occupied until the other person coughs pointedly to get his attention and Leo's face lights up with pleasure and surprise  
  
"Piper!" 


	3. Part 3

_Thank you for the reviews, the very kind comments and the useful, constructive feedback, Ligia Elena, you are completely right, my tenses go all over the place and its really annoying to read, sorry. I tried to write this part all in the past tense. Willow2 I am really glad you liked it, I will try and address all those points, promise. Charmed sister, I hope you got to read it in the end and Twins-of-Sun you made my day._

_(Still hiding from the other story)_

* * *

"Surprised?"  
  
"Delighted. You have no idea how much. I didn't... "He hesitated, her appearance felt like a miracle and he was anxious not to say the wrong thing.  
  
"...didn't think you would see me again after the last time, when you said all of those stupid things and I told you that I hated you." She smiled, relieved to see how thrilled he was that she was there. "Yeah I could see that you might think that"  
  
He just returned her smile, refusing to be drawn into their previous argument. Walking forward he took her hands "I'm just glad that you are here...and looking so corporeal" He raised a questioning eyebrow, usually she was only corporeal within a magical circle, this was new.  
  
"Aha, impressed? I've stolen a couple of tricks from your son"  
  
"Oh" There was an awkward silence.  
  
"Aren't you going to ask me which son?"  
  
"Piper please." His tone was pleading "I've missed you more than you can imagine and I don't want to fight" He was still holding on to her hands, tightly, as though making sure she couldn't leave.  
  
"I know" her eyes filled with tears "I know you don't feel the same as me Leo, its just, its been a bad day and I needed to talk to you. I know you say you don't want to talk about them, that they are both dead to you, but...." She couldn't go on  
  
Instinctively he pulled her to his chest, enveloping her in his arms. The misery of recent years had blunted his emotions, but he still couldn't bear to see her pain. He was silent for a moment, thinking carefully before he said. "Baby, you can tell me anything, is this about Chris?"  
  
He felt her nod. "Ok" pulling back, he led her to the couch "Since you are being all full bodied, why don't I get you a drink and" he looked down at the damp patch on his shirt, "a hankie. You just sit there"  
  
She talked for hours, telling him about how she had contacted Wyatt, how he had promised to help, promised to bring Chris back, but in the end he had used Bianca and everything had happened just like last time. Leo didn't say much, just held her hands, wiped her tears and occasionally hugged her tightly. He didn't talk because what could he say? I told you so.  
  
When Chris had first come back to save them Leo had vowed things would be different. He would be that perfect father, Piper wouldn't die, Wyatt would not become evil; but over time this dream had shattered. After Chris was born a new, even more powerful Source evolved, organising the underworld into a killing frenzy. With so few Elders remaining he had been needed to work constantly, but he had resisted, for a long time he had struggled to balance his two worlds, but it was hard, knowing that for every moment spent with his family he was failing in his duty. The crunch came on Chris's 10th birthday. It had been a lovely day, perfect, determined not to let Chris down he had placed all calls on mute. In desperation one of his whitelighters had orbed to him but it had been too late. His selfish family day had cost the lives of a witch and hundreds of innocents. Her whitelighter, unable to find Leo had given the witch terrible advice with catastrophic consequences.  
  
Leo never got over it, for him that day became synonymous with his failure, a day of deep mourning rather than celebration. He found it harder and harder to justify time spent away from work. In the odd minutes he had free he wrote letters to his family pouring out his feelings and love, particularly to Chris, all the time knowing how they were viewed, wondering if Chris even bothered to read them, but writing all the same, trying desperately to show his love somehow.  
  
Yet he still hung on to his dream, believing that one day good would win the battle against evil and finally he could be with his family. He hung on until Piper's death when Chris was 14, she died despite every precaution they had taken. Then he knew, he knew without a shadow of doubt that everything was fixed, the future was cast in stone, and there could be no escape. That future knowledge he had thought a blessing became a curse, every day he awoke knowing that Chris would believe Wyatt was evil, he would go back in time to save him and he would die. Nothing Leo could do would change that. The memory of Chris's death haunted Leo and he found that even looking at Chris hurt and when he confided to Leo his future hopes and plans it was agony. In self-preservation Leo began to push him away, unable to go through the pain of Chris's death again it was as though Leo tried to cut him out of his life slowly in manageable parts.  
  
Yet bizarrely Leo still clung to Wyatt, his good, clever, loving son who seemed to offer some hope of an alternative future. Wyatt couldn't go evil. he wouldn't go evil. Then he did. He killed the Source took over his empire and started the Alliance.  
  
Piper, even after death, wouldn't listen, she wouldn't give up on them wouldn't accept the inevitable, wouldn't stop fighting for her sons whatever Leo said and he loved her for it, but he could no longer believe with her. She had tried again and again and again to involve him in saving Chris, and talking to Wyatt, but he just couldn't. Their last fight, 6 months ago, had been their worst ever, she hadn't come when he summoned her, he'd even resorted to summoning her sisters, all three, they were sympathetic, even loving but couldn't help him. He had thought that he'd already lost everything, but these 6 months had shown how wrong he had been. 

She had finally stopped talking and looked up at him expectantly, Her eyes were red and swollen, her face a puffy mess and yet she looked beautiful, so vibrant and alive, determined that no matter what she would succeed. Ghost or not there was nothing etherial about Piper and comparing the apathetic existance he had been living he was struck by the irony that she was the spirit.

Unable to fatham his face she touched it. "Leo I know what you believe, but at this moment I need you to believe in our sons, in us, all of us" and feeling alive for the first time in months, infected by her passion, at that moment he did.

* * *

Early next morning Graden went to find Leo; he had decided to accompany him to see the Alliance. While he didn't suspect Leo of spying for Wyatt, he equally didn't feel Leo to be the best representative of the Elder cause. He was also curious to see the reunion, not to mention the Great Man himself.  
  
Deep in thought he walked straight into Leo's rooms then stopped in shock, in an almost cartoon reaction he wiped his eyes, before looking at the bed again. Piper and Leo were curled tightly together in deep sleep. Graden backed away, furious, how could he, after all of the misery they had caused by rule breaking how could he? Had he learnt nothing? Did he have no shame? No guilt?  
  
Gradlen walked quickly away as though trying to put as much distance between himself and Leo as possible. One thought running through his mind, if after everything that had happened Leo could do this, how could they trust him at all. 


	4. Part 4

_Thank you, thank you, thank you for the lovely reviews, especially such long ones. They made me really happy. Its great to know that other people are interested in the stuff that floats around my head, you are probably saving me a fortune in psychiatrist bills. Plus comments like what are you going to do about..., or why is such a body doing... are really useful otherwise I don't address them - sorry I rambled on a bit there, stopping now._

* * *

Leo woke suddenly, cramped and desperate to stretch his limbs, but loath to move and risk her leaving his arms, he breathed in the scent of her hair, savouring the moment. But it didn't last, she stirred and stretched and turned to him confused "Hey! I was asleep what's that about"  
  
He smiled and took the opportunity to trace her cheek with his finger. "It's the body, if you retain it long enough, it needs resting and feeding"  
  
"Well that explains my next question, I'm starving and I bet you don't have any food" his face confirmed she was right and she poked him in the chest in mock annoyance "I don't know how you manage to survive without me"  
  
He said simply "I don't"  
  
The honesty of his answer was unexpected and she had to turn away, when she looked back he had risen, his expression troubled.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Last night I didn't set any barriers, anyone could have come in"  
  
She got up too and began to get dressed, who cared, she was long past worrying about the elders and more curious than concerned she asked "Do you think they did?" he shrugged "It'll give them something else to gossip about"  
  
She was concentrating now and it was his turn to ask, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Shush. I need to figure how to get rid of the body and since you're not going to feed me, I probably should go"  
  
"You don't know how? Wyatt didn't tell you?"  
  
"Well he didn't actually tell me how to get the body either, but if he didn't want me to know he should have mumbled his spell more quietly, I'm dead not deaf" she clicked her fingers and began slowly to fade. "Ah ha!",  
  
She grinned wickedly "I've always wanted to do this", before he could ask what, she pulled him into her arms and kissed him, fading away mid embrace, leaving him empty armed and looking foolish. 

He smiled, "Oh that".

* * *

The room was heaving. Magical creatures of all types intermingled nervously as Wyatt strode among them with confident ease. In the crush he stood out, beings in his vicinity automatically shuffled away leaving him permanently framed by a circle of space. Tiathon called it his Corona of Terror. It worked for Wyatt, added to his mystique, besides he had never liked crowds.  
  
Surveying his subjects he spotted Graden immediately, Leo, hooded, with his back to Wyatt was barely noticed.  
  
Mm.. Elders, now that was interesting. So they had finally condescended to come to his party, he smiled savagely, he must remember to send Tiathon to them for a chat, his grin widened. It was about time they danced to his tune, it felt like most of his life he had been dancing to theirs. His father couldn't live with them because the Elders said so, they couldn't use magic for personal gain because the Elders said so, his mother had cried herself to sleep so many nights because the Elders deemed it so and she, and most of his other ancestors, had senselessly thrown away their lives because the fucking Elders had said so. Well the Elders could......Leo!!!!!!!  
  
Leo had turned round and for a few seconds the world just stopped. Wyatt heard nothing, felt nothing, his mind scrabbled at nothing, before reality kicked back in and he was back, posed, powerful and most important totally controlled.  
  
What the hell was going on? His mother last night, Leo today. Had he come about Chris too? No, he wouldn't, not anymore; it had to be about work. He tried to hear his father's thoughts, nothing; the other elder came up blank too. Shrewd Leo, he must have used blocking potions. Wyatt wasn't surprised it was something Leo had always been careful about, particularly around Piper, there were some thoughts he had made sure his son could never share. Casually Wyatt meandered towards them making sure that he stopped to talk to others on his way.  
  
Finally, exuding arrogance, he reached Graden "And you are......?"  
  
So this was the Great Man. Despite himself Graden was impressed, Wyatt emitted an aura of almost overwhelming power and it was all he could do not to genuflect. He pulled himself together and remembering he represented the Elders he stood up straight. "I am Graden and this is..." He broke off, gesturing to Leo not certain how he should continue.  
  
Wyatt smiled lazily "Oh, there is no need to introduce Leo......hes a friend of my Mothers".  
  
"Hello Wyatt" Leo spoke quietly.  
  
The two just looked at each other, and seeing them so close Graden was struck by the striking similarly, of course he had known Wyatt was Leo's son, but even so the likeness was unnerving, as though a familiar, benign tabby cat suddenly morphed into a snarling tiger before his eyes.  
  
Leo didn't known what he had expected, didn't even know what he currently felt. Last night, listening to Piper's highly edited, favourable account of Wyatt and his attempts to help Chris, a small glimmer of hope had flickered in his aching heart. Now, faced by this cold stranger the hope faded...and yet, and yet, beneath it all there was that beloved face, as familiar as his own, it almost was his own, but it was Wyatt's appraising expression that finally decided him, pure Piper, Leo made an effort.  
  
"Its, its..good to see you"  
  
"Really! And there was I thinking that you, like all right minded angels, thought I was the Devil. Well you live and learn" BASTARD! Did he think Wyatt was stupid? That he could show up after 3 years and say hello son, bow nicely to the important Elders? Well he was wrong. The world had moved on and so had Wyatt. 

He smiled coldly, "I must circulate. Be sure to give my regards to Mom next time you...ahem see her" and he walked away, leaving Leo and Garden staring dumbly in his wake.  
  
At first the ceremony was a disappointment to Graden, he had expected something more regal and grand, possibly trumpets and fanfares, certainly with at least a show of military might, but as it proceeded he realised that Wyatt needed non of these. He was himself sufficiently majestic and impressive that anything else would be gilding the lily. They were now all seated around a magnificent circular table that could easily accommodate hundreds yet magically managed to appear intimate. Graden wanted to sneer at this Arthurian charade but somehow couldn't.  
  
Wyatt was stood on a podium in the hollowed out centre of the table, a group of leprechauns and slovaccis grouped to one side. He had been talking for a while and Graden looked around at the transfixed audience, hanging on Wyatt's every word,  
  
"........... a new world order, beyond the old good-versus- evil morass. Today we are welcoming the Leprechauns and Slovaccis into the Halliwell Alliance. An alliance of good **and** evil, no longer bound in an endless destructive wheel of futile killing. Truly a commonwealth for..." he paused for the first time that day and looked mockingly at Leo "..**for the greater good** of all. Today we celebrate all magic whatever its orientation for what it truly is, power. Our rules are simple,  
  
**One**, my wishes are law and my orders will be followed by members even unto death.

**Two**, no mortal may be harmed", he smiled playfully, "We need someone to rebuild this city and empty the bins.

**Three**, it is forbidden to attack members of other groups within the Alliance  
  
Outside of these rules members can do anything they like, pursue whom they choose, kill what they will. However if these rules are transgressed", he flicked his fingers and, a grimlock sat around the table disappeared, consumed in a flare of fire. A new, confused looking grimlock instantly replaced him. "I will be upset" He turned to the new arrival.  
  
"Are you the leader of the Grimlocks,"  
  
"No. That..."The creature, not stupid, took in his surrounding "...my apologies sir, yes I am the leader"  
  
"Under your late predecessor I received tales that children's eyes were still being collected, this breaks one of my rules. Will I hear similar tales under your leadership?"  
  
"NO!" He looked terrified  
  
"Good. Then you are welcome"  
  
Wyatt turned to the group of slovaccis, "Now finally the initiation may begin"

The leader of the Slavaccis walked forward and knelt at Wyatt's feet, his head stretched back. Wyatt pointed Excalibur to the base of his throat.  
  
"Do you swear as the leader of your people that you speak for all of them?"  
  
"I swear"  
  
"Do you swear to place this Alliance before your people, your family and your gods?"  
  
"I swear"  
  
"Do you agree to pledge your life for the obedience of your people?"  
  
The slovacci alarmed by what he had just witnessed hesitated and at that moment one of the leprechauns who had been sidling nearer to them, launched himself at Wyatt with an enchanted blade.  
  
Leo instinctively leapt up, his arms raised, ready to orb his son to safety, but he needn't have bothered. The leprechaun froze mid attack then began moving again in ultra slow motion. In a horrific scene, he was kept magically alive while first his skin then bones, blistered and boiled away, all the time his eyes bulging in terror and his mouth stretched in a soundless scream of agony. Wyatt never turned round, merely stood disinterestedly awaiting the Slovacci leader's reply.  
  
The demon quickly made up his mind.  
  
"YES, YES I swear"  
  
Wyatt smiled "Then I welcome you to us"  
  
He turned to the leprechauns, who were staring in horror at their tormented comrade, and smiled politely "Do you still wish to join us?"  
  
They looked at him in disbelief.  
  
"Oh, I beg your pardon" Wyatt flicked his fingers and the anguished leprechaun plus two of his colleagues disappeared,  
  
Shell shocked and appalled the two remaining leprechauns looked at each other, before one nodded and reluctantly stepped forward to take the oath  
  
Leo, who had known the dead leprechauns well, was sickened by the torture he had observed, turned to Graden. "I can't stay, I can't be a party to this, you talk to them if you like, I shouldn't have come" without awaiting a reply he walked away, with Graden quickly following.  
  
In silence they made for the room designated for materialising and dematerialising, both so deep in thought that they did not notice the sound of running footsteps until the demon was almost on top of them. It looked terrified and glancing quickly around shoved a piece of paper in Leo's hand, whispering, "If you want him gone, be here" Not waiting to see if they heard him or not it shimmered out. Leaving the stunned elders looking at each other speechless.

* * *

Tiathon closed his folder "I think that went well. The attack by the leprechauns was a most effective demonstration, it couldn't have gone better if we'd planned it."  
  
"Yes". Wyatt was thoughtful, knowing Tiathon was right, yet somehow it bothered Wyatt that Leo had witnessed the scene. "Did you see the Elders?"  
  
Tiathon was grinning "Unfortunately they left before I could welcome them personally" he knew how Wyatt dispised them "I was surprised that they finally responded to one of my invitations"  
  
Wyatt turned around "You invited them?"  
  
"Oh I invite them to everything, for some reason they never want to come. I suppose they thought this time they would be safe sending..." His voice trailed off, hesitant about mentioning Leo before Wyatt did. Wyatt often got touchy around the subject of his family and Tiathon was always very careful not to risk that.  
  
"Yes" Wyatt cut him off and not wanting to discuss Leo he didn't elaborate further "I will see you tomorrow"  
  
Tiathon, recognising this as a dismissal left him, alone.  
  
Alone. That was the price of his success. It was times like this he missed Chris, Chris had never been scared of him, not really, not even last night. Wyatt was irritated with himself, he had handled that badly, he should have known trying to bully Chris wouldn't work. It was just he couldn't let anything jeopardise what he was working for. If his brother were prepared to go back to the past to try and trash things who knew what he would do when, _or if,_ Wyatt brought him back. Plus that half assed resistance he had been running before he left had been an embarrassment, if it had been any one else...  
  
Wyatt walked to the window and looked out at the battered city, remembering how it had looked as a child, remembering feeling giddy as his father had orbed all of them around it, pointing out sites, telling stupid jokes. That's how it should have been all the time.  
  
He turned his mind back to the Chris problem, acknowledging there was no question of it being _if he brought Chris back_, he had promised Piper. Besides she was right, beneath it all Wyatt was all about family. He grew more cheerful; Chris had worked with demons before, often, if he could just be persuaded to join Wyatt then who knew what they could accomplish together.  
  



	5. Part 5

_Willow2 /Stoney Angel (you confused me for a minute) its a disastor if I've made you hate Leo - so I am torturing him some more in the hope it softens your heart, I hope you feel guilty at his pain. _

_Calen, I am glad that you're still reading, I thought I'd lost you, I'm not saying if he's evil or not (or even mad) that's your choice. _

_PiperLeoEternally thanks a lot for the kind review, it makes a difference_

_

* * *

_

They were stood on one of the broken girders at the top of Golden Gate Bridge.  
  
Graden read the note out loud, again "Golden Gate Bridge, Sunrise". He paused before asking Leo for the umpteenth time "Of course, it could be a trap, what do you think?".  
  
Leo sighed, inwardly he contemplated throwing Graden off the bridge, he almost certainly would have to if Graden went on to state, **again,** that they should have consulted the other elders. Leo just wished he would leave him alone. In his mind he saw the dieing leprechaun's expression of agony.  
  
Tiathon suddenly materialised  
  
"You." Graden backed away, terrified, he had been right it was a trap.  
  
"Hello Elder" the panic on Graden's face amused him "Don't worry, you are quite safe. I've been waiting too long for this meeting to throw it away for a moments pleasure"  
  
Leo looked around, "Where's Wyatt?"  
  
Tiathon shrugged "Who knows, not here anyway. That's why I picked this spot, it's the one place he never comes, never sends probes"  
  
Graden recovered himself slightly "Why not?"  
  
"Because I come here" Leo added slowly looking to Tiathon who nodded in confirmation.  
  
Graden was a little ashamed of his earlier outburst and tried to cover it by asking brusquely "What do you want?"  
  
"The same as you. An end to Wyatt. For things to go back as they were, the natural order of things Good verses Evil".  
  
Graden was confused "But you're his second in command".  
  
"Its better than being dead. In Wyatt's new world order, being with him or being dead are pretty much the only alternatives you've got".  
  
"That doesn't explain why you need us" Graden was becoming irritated  
  
Tiathon grinned "Oh I don't need you" indicating both of them "I just need him," He pointed to Leo.  
  
"Do you know how long I have been waiting for this meeting, hanging about this bridge on the off chance you would show up. Issuing invitation after invitation to the elders in the hope I might meet you. Not sure even if I did that you would help me. Then when I saw you yesterday, saw your face after the leprechaun attack. I knew."  
  
"Knew what?" Leo was defensive.  
  
"Knew that you wanted him dead as much as me."  
  
Graden had had enough "That's all very well, but even if our goals are the same he is invincible."  
  
Tiathon smiled and looked at Leo "Not quite"  
  
Graden followed his gaze to Leo's face and was shocked to see understanding there. "You know how to vanquish him? All this time, all this destruction and you knew how to vanquish him all along?" Graden was incredulous.  
  
Leo looked away, "No. Not really, not now anyway. It's a, was a Power of Three thing and they are all dea.."  
  
Tiathon interrupted, "that doesn't have to matter. I've seen the potion in the Book of Shadows, it needs blood from his family, both sides, and to be blessed by the Power of Three, it doesn't specify that they need to be living, see" He gave Leo a sheet of paper  
  
Leo looked down at it, trying to buy time "Is this all you've got, because you might as well give up now. There is no way the girls would even listen to you"  
  
"No I realise that, but they would listen to you"  
  
Leo backed away "You're crazy, even I couldn't get Piper to agree to this!"  
  
Tiathon followed him eagerly "She doesn't need to, by my calculation there are three other sisters".  
  
"..but," Leo, conscious of Graden's eye on him was running out of excuses " but even if they would, and they wouldn't, they don't have bodies, don't have blood"  
  
Graden joined the discussion for the first time. "Now that's not strictly true is it Leo, or rather it certainly isn't a problem that you haven't overcome before" He paused for a second till he was sure that Leo fully understood his meaning.

Now, fully in control, he turned to Tiathon, smiling for the first time that day "We will be in touch"

* * *

Leo looked at the summoning circle he had created. He would do it in a minute. It had been 2 hours since he had sent Graden away, promising that he would summon the sisters and for 2 hours he had put it off. The arguments were clear. Wyatt was evil, Wyatt was the leader of evil, Wyatt bullied tortured and killed good magical beings like leprechauns, and Wyatt should be vanquished. And yet, Wyatt was his son, despite everything Leo loved him and if they did this, if he did this Piper would never, ever forgive him.  
  
He desperately wanted to talk to Piper, but this was the one subject they could never discuss.  
  
Graden would be back soon. He got up.  
  
**"Hear these words. Hear my cry spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the Great Divide."  
**  
"YAY Leo!" Phoebe as always was first, enthusiastically shouting in her baby voice, making kissing noises, trying to hug him but passing straight through. Despite himself he grinned.  
  
"Leo, Dude" He looked up to see Paige smirking "it's about time you called a party" she winked.  
  
And finally materialising in style, making an entrance and looking cool was Prue. "Hey Leo".  
  
He noticed that both Paige and Prue quickly became corporeal; he wasn't surprised, even now news travelled fast between the Halliwell sisters.  
  
Prue was the first to become aware of Piper's absence. "Not again, I thought you two had worked things out"  
  
"And then some" Paige grinned at him suggestively. He smiled back, long since immune to his sister-in-laws' attempts to embarrass him.  
  
Phoebe was indignant about being left out of the loop."What? When? How come no one told me?" She noticed her sisters' substance "And how come I don't know how to get a body?"  
  
"I think that you might have been otherwise occupied" Prue's vaguely disapproving voice dripped with meaning.  
  
"And what exactly are you implying by that?"  
  
Leo just sat back, letting their chatter wash over him, enjoying their presence and company, feeling how much he loved them all and how happy their friendship had always made him.  
  
Paige rolled her eyes at Leo as if to say look what I have to put up with before muttering a spell that caused Phoebe to solidify. "There you go toots"  
  
The affable bickering stopped and they turned to him curious.  
  
He could put it off no longer "It's not about Piper. Its, its about Wyatt". He passed Tiathon's paper to Prue. She looked up at him "Oh" and passed it to Paige, who pulled her face as she passed it to Phoebe, who in turn became suddenly very serious.  
  
"Leo you've got to be kidding. You can't actually be considering this. He's your son, for God's sake he's Piper's son. Is that why she's not here? You want us to do this behind her back. Leo how could you, if she weren't already dead this would kill her...."  
  
"Phoebe! Phoebe! PHEOBE!" Prue finally gets her sister's attention "Phoebe, I think he knows that. He wouldn't have called us if this wasn't the last resort" She turned to Leo "This is the last resort right?"  
  
He nodded, taken aback at her calm acceptance. "You don't seem surprised"  
  
Prue looked at Paige "I'm not, we were hoping that it wouldn't come to this but..."  
  
Paige finally spoke "Do you really think we have to?"  
  
He shrugged, "I don't know. I suppose I was hoping that you might tell me. I know if he wasn't my son I wouldn't think twice, but he is and.."  
  
Paige said, "There's Piper"  
  
"Yes".  
  
All four stood there in silence thinking the unthinkable, it was Phoebe who broke it. "I can't believe it, I can't believe that we are even thinking about this" She looked angrily at her sister. "Its different for you Prue, you don't even know him but he was such a lovely kid."  
  
Prue was impatient "And now he's the king of the underworld or whatever he is calling himself. The question is are we going to go through with it." She looked around. Phoebe glaring at the wall refusing to meet anybody's eye, Paige sat quietly looking thoughtful, and Leo sat next to her looking crushed. "Look, Its obvious we can't decide this now. We all need some time to think it through"  
  
She walked up to Leo and hugged him, but could find no words to say, instead she gently touched his cheek before she clicked her fingers and was gone, quickly followed by Pheobe. Paige hesitated then took Leo's hand. "This isn't your fault Leo, non of it"  
  
He looked unconvinced but said nothing  
  
"What will you do if we go through with it"  
  
"I don't know. Recently I've been thinking of giving it up, welcoming death and joining Piper in the afterlife but....." He doesn't need to go on, they both know that there would be no happy ever after with Piper following this betrayal. "Its not as though there is anything left for me here, not with Chris gone"  
  
Paige tried to be encouraging "Chris will come back"  
  
He looked at her "We, of all people, know that's not true"  
  
She looked away "Perhaps if we'd warned him"  
  
Leo muttered, "I did"  
  
Paige looked back surprised "Piper said...."  
  
"I didn't tell Piper" She was staring at him now and he knew he had to go on "it was the last time I saw him, he needed my help, he was desperate, he had to have been to have called me. It was a friend of his, a girl in his resistance group, she was badly injured and needed healing" Leo got up and walked to the wall. "I didn't notice at first, I was too busy with her wounds, but when she was healed she thanked me and I recognised her, it was Bianca"  
  
"Oh"  
  
"I'd spent so long trying not to think about it, then seeing her there, with him made me realise how old he was, how near it was and I thought maybe it was fate, perhaps I was wrong, maybe I'd been given this chance" He paused and looked down "I tried to tell him, he wouldn't listen, he was so angry at me he wouldn't listen to anything I said."  
  
Paige got up and put her hand on his shoulder "It wasn't your fault. You know that we haven't been able to change any of it"  
  
He looked at her with tears in his eyes "You don't understand, before I talked to him he hadn't even thought of time travel. It was my fault he went at all"

* * *

_If you read this I'm really interested what you think about Wyatt and if that opinion has changed/is changing through out the story._


	6. Part 6

_Ok, I'd like to carry on with the story now please. Yes I do realise that its been an unacceptably long time since the last part (I sort of lost my nerve) and no I don't expect anyone to still care what happens next. However, on the off chance that someone/anyone is persevering and reading this THANK YOU. _

_Also, thank you to everyone for their feedback, particularly to Stony Angel who might just be the personification of kindness and Ligia Elena whose comments and advice I truly appreciate and value._

* * *

She looked down on him sadly as he stood in his office. If they could only see him now, Leo, her sisters, Chris; see Wyatt as she did, without the followers and the pomp and the façade, they might understand. She knew what they thought; they thought that her maternal love blinded her to the monster he had become, that perversely she refused to accept reality. It really pissed her off, they should know her better than that. She had seen her family possessed and over taken by Evil time and time again, Hell, she had even been there herself. This was different.  
  
Wyatt just stood there, staring at the leprechaun dagger that he held in his hand, eventually he flicked his fingers and a cloaked display cabinet appeared packed with weapons. A vast assortment of swords, athames, daggers, all souvenirs of various assassination attempts. It was a grisly collection, epitomising a life of danger and violence. He placed the dagger at the end of a row, then thoughtfully picked up another, the first, it was Gideon's. From his expression she knew Wyatt was thinking of Chris, thinking that this was the blade that had/would /did kill him.  
  
Piper came here often to watch over Wyatt, or rather surround him, experience him; it was difficult to describe the sensation, like explaining sight to someone born blind. She came in the hope that he would somehow feel her presence and be less alone. It began three years earlier when she had stormed here looking for a fight, straight from a distraught Leo. He had been beside himself with grief, broken down by his son's iniquities, relaying how before thousands of witnesses Wyatt had massacred a wood full of nymphs to prove himself to the underworld. She had come enraged, looking for answers and found instead her shell shocked little boy still reeling from his father's rejection. Then she knew, no matter how it looked, no matter what the rest of the world thought, she knew in that moment that Wyatt wasn't evil, hadn't changed and trusting him as she trusted herself she knew he must have a good reason to act in this way. It was enough.  
  
Well nearly enough, it had still been hard to bite her tongue and watch, passive observation was not exactly her style and almost daily she fought the urge to demand what the hell was going on. The effort to keep her peace almost killed her, if she had been alive it probably would have done, but death brought at least that advantage. She'd watched how Wyatt isolated himself, almost deliberately pushing away everyone else that loved him and it made her determined to not let go, trusting that a steadfast display of unconditional faith and love would give him something to hold on to.  
  
Totally absorbed in his thoughts, Wyatt didn't appear to notice as Gideon's athame began to hover and spin under his focus, catching the light and forcing its reflection to dance over his face. It had always been that way, as though his mortal frame could not hold in all of the power it contained. As a child surrounding inanimate objects would come to life reflecting his emotions, skipping in circles past him and Chris while they chortled as babies, or more sinisterly rising up to smite the never ending succession of demons that came to kill him.  
  
Accepting this as natural it hadn't seemed to faze him, nothing did. She thought bitterly how smug they had always been about their beautiful, well adjusted son, congratulating themselves on avoiding the horrific destiny that Chris had described. She could still picture him, a miniature version of Leo following his father around, proudly wearing the tool belt that Paige made for him, two normal guys finding things to fix. Normality. That had been a big thing to Wyatt. Born with so much power, acquiring more meant nothing, and fitting in, being the same as everyone else was a craving that she of all people could understand. While Chris and his friends were absorbing new magical skills and revelling in their abilities Wyatt would badger Leo for trips to the Museum or games in the park. She smiled ruefully, it was always Leo. Chris might have been his Mommy's boy but Wyatt had worshipped the ground Leo walked on. That made this....  
  
The athame had stopped spinning and she noticed Wyatt was smiling up at the ceiling. "Mom, I've got a plan. I know how to bring him back"  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Oh for God's sake Mom, I know you're here, lurking, I can sense you. Do we have to go through this charade every time? Do I really have to summon you?"  
  
Piper materialised, looking sheepish, and after a beat became corporeal too.  
  
Wyatt smiled. "Well its about time you figured that out, I wondered how many times I'd have to say the spell before you'd catch on"  
  
"Hey! Less lip, more explaining. What about Chris?"  
  
"Ok, we can't send anyone else after him, because after the Bianca thing he won't trust them and will think it's a trap. I can't go, because no doubt he will try and get you guys to vanquish me and we all know how persuasive he can be. We can't send someone to a time before Bianca's trip because that will really screw with the time line"  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, he stays where he is and we eject him from that moment in time and reinsert him to exactly the same place in this time"  
  
It was an absurd plan, inconceivable to anyone but Wyatt. For a moment she thought about asking if he could really do it, but that was stupid, Wyatt could pretty much do anything. He looked thoughtful now.  
  
"The only problem is for this to work we need to know exactly where he was at a particular moment in time, this is precision stuff"  
  
She hesitated. "We know where he was just before he died. For at least fifteen minutes before 9.22 on his birthday he was on my bed, but that's no good he was too sick to heal by then"  
  
Wyatt looked amused. "9.22? What, did you write it in your diary?" Then off her glare. "Sorry I forgot Chris's death is a humour free zone."  
  
Raising her eyebrows in disapproval she continued. "Your Dad went berserk and blew everything up, including all of the clocks. It, it always felt as though time stopped for him"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Look there's no point in getting maudlin about this he's not dead yet and about the sickness I've got a plan for that. Leo couldn't heal him because he was injured by good magic...." He saw that she was about to protest and raised his hand as though to fend her off. "...Ok then, **Elder magic,** all we need is an evil healer, one that specialises in healing wounds inflicted by good, sorry **Elder**, magic." He smiled smugly. "And one of the perks of being the ruler of the underworld is pretty much all of them work for me"  
  
Her eyes were alight with hope and she looked so positive that he felt a thrill of happiness at pleasing her. It seemed so long since he had experienced that sensation.  
  
She was business like now. "Ok. Now that's a plan, a wordy somewhat boastful plan, but still a definite workable plan. We need to go to the Manor, summon your demonic healer then you can call your father and we are all set"  
  
"What? Wait! No! No one said anything about Leo"   
  
Her face was determined. "Wyatt you are not going to fight me on this. Your father deserves to be here, we can't leave him out of this, I couldn't do that to him"  
  
And, loath to spoil the happiness he had given her, The Great Wyatt Halliwell, Twice Blessed, Wielder of Excalibur, Supreme Leader of the Mighty Halliwell Alliance, Terror of the Underworld, Scourge of the Elders answered in the only way he could. "Aw Mom, do we have to?"

* * *

Leo, Piper, Prue and Phoebe were gathered in his room, positioned around the potion they had made and blessed. Paige poured some into a vial and passed it wordlessly to Leo.  
  
Phoebe brooded in a corner while Prue, very much in charge, spoke. "Ok, we're agreed. Leo has the potion to use as an absolute last resort, but before he does anything we will try an intervention and talk to Wyatt and...."  
  
She stopped and glared at Leo who was staring at the potion in his hands, clearly not listening "Leo?"  
  
"Sorry, what?" seeing Prue's face he began to make an apology but broke off distracted as he received a call. To their surprise he stood up, obviously shaken. 

Pheobe reached out to him "What is it?"  
  
"Its Wyatt. He, he just called for me". He looked at them in amazement, then down at the vial gripped tightly in his hand and with his face set in grim determination orbed out.


	7. Part 7

_Thank you very much for the reviews, they made me very happy, although I am now thinking perhaps I should leave it a month between updates everytime. _

* * *

Leo orbed to the bridge, he needed a moment alone to collect his thoughts before facing Wyatt.  
  
_He could do this-he could do this-he could do this-he could do this -he could_.... **NO!** He realised that there was absolutely no way on earth he could do this. There was no way he could kill his own son. It was too much. In his life he had made sacrifice after sacrifice for the greater good, some of those sacrifices hadn't been his to make but he'd made them anyway, hurting the people he loved and for what? What the Hell difference had it made in the grand scheme of things? Well it ended here. Screw the world and the consequences, this wasn't his fight any longer, Wyatt would not die by his hand.  
  
Feeling calmer and more at peace than he had for years he orbed into his old bedroom at the Manor and the horrific sight of Chris being murdered by a demon while Wyatt calmly watched.  
  
"CHRIS!"  
  
Incandescent with rage Leo obliterated the demon before turning to Wyatt. "YOU BASTARD! He's your brother." He fumbled for the potion.  
  
"Tut, tut, tut. Now that's not nice and Mom's going to..." For some reason Wyatt faltered and stepped back, looking aghast at Leo.  
  
"Oh Leo what have you done?" Leo swung around, bewildered to see Piper, she pushed past him, intent on getting to Chris.  
  
"Wyatt, do something I can't find his pulse." She was panicking now.  
  
Leo stumbled forward. No, this couldn't be happening, he couldn't watch this happen, not again. He placed his hands over Chris's chest desperately trying to heal him, knowing that it wouldn't work, knowing that his son was already dead.  
  
"WYATT! Please."  
  
His mother's cry woke him from his stupor and Wyatt stepped forward. He looked coldly at Leo. "Get out of the way elder, you are no use to anyone."  
  
A bright light shone from Wyatts's hand and enveloped Chris, illuminating him. Wyatt chanted, "Caducas exanimas vita aetas anima," until at last Chris opened his eyes dazed. "Dad?"  
  
Leo took his hand, tears of relief pouring down his face. "Shh, its ok son, you're ok."  
  
Chris focused, he was finally here, back in the future and there was his Dad, not old Leo distant and uncaring but the loving father he had just left behind and his heart leapt, Mom, weeping and hugging him, still alive and there was Wyatt all grown up and stood anxiously by his bed, his Mom's bed in the Manor. Home. His head sank back as joy and pride and relief flooded through him. "I did it. I freakin did it."  
  
But the illusion didn't last.  
  
Wyatt stepped away from the happy family scene, his eyes on Leo. His voice cold and detached. "No, I did it. The evil and apparently expendable son."  
  
Leo missed the second part of Wyatt's statement as a thought sunk into place; he looked up. "You're an alchemist? You can raise the dead. Then why...." He glanced at Piper.  
  
"..didn't you raise me?" She wasn't angry or disappointed, just very surprised.  
  
Chris closed his eyes to shut out the pain. No! She was still dead.  
  
Wyatt shrugged. "For what? So you could come back to this same miserable life? So you could fight and scrap and sacrifice everyday for nothing. No recognition, no thanks, no happiness, no chance of a normal life. I couldn't do that to you Mom, even if he could."  
  
He turned to Leo. "I wanted something better for her. For all of us and unlike you I was prepared to put my family first."  
  
Wyatt took Piper's hand. "I will bring you back Mom. You and your sisters, I promise. When I've made this world fit for you, when you can come back to a real life."  
  
Piper looked at him to stunned to speak.  
  
Chris got up, trying to come to terms with the fact that it had all been for nothing, everything he had gone through had been for nothing, that he had changed nothing. He broke the silence. "Is this it?" He laughed sardonically. "You are telling me that the reason you became evil was to make Mom happy. You're insane. You do know that right? You can't seriously think that's a satisfactory justification for all that you've done, all the misery you have caused?"  
  
Wyatt sneered. "Oh tell me little brother, explain the world according to Chris the Good, what exactly do I have to justify?"  
  
Leo interrupted. "You could start with the massacre of the wood nymphs and possibly end with the torture of leprechauns."  
  
"I didn't vanquish the wood nymphs just moved them for a while, they are so stupid they never even noticed."  
  
"But you said..."  
  
"I said nothing. You never asked. You were too busy telling me how I wasn't your son. So happy to finally be proved right – lets face it you've all been waiting for me to turn evil for years. Did you think I didn't know?"  
  
Chris blurted out. "That's crap. I can't believe you are trying to tell us that you haven't killed innocents. I have seen them, I have known some of them"  
  
Wyatt gave him a look of scorn. "What innocents like Valkyries you mean Chris, acquaintances like Giff, how about allowing your Aunts to sacrifice old class mates to save you from Scabber Demons. Tell me is there some volume trigger with this, kill 4 or 5 innocents and you are the honoured saviour of your family and the world, kill more than 30 and you are an evil tyrant. You know you might want to use a thought blocking potion before you try to take the moral high ground with me. Don't you dare lecture me about killing beings that stand in your way and Leo before you decide to tag team in, exactly how many Elders have you now notched up?" He dropped his voice to a theatrical whisper "and of course, as usual, we will all be very careful not to mention the 100's of innocents who died so that you could have a good time on Chris's 10th birthday."  
  
"Wyatt! Stop it." Piper could bear this cruelty.  
  
"Oh Mom, don't act so appalled, its not as though you haven't heard worse. Hell it's not as though we all haven't seen, heard, done worse every day of our lives. If you wanted me to have a more reverent attitude to the lives of other beings perhaps you should have arranged things so that my earliest memories were not fighting for my own, or watching my mother come home covered in blood and demon gore. Do you know there probably isn't a whole week in my life where I haven't watched at least one thing die."  
  
He was spitting his bitterness out now. "Is that really the life style that you are desperate to preserve with the good vs evil balance that you worship so."  
  
They watched him as he paced the room unleashing the resentment that he had hidden for so long.  
  
"And how about the lives I have saved, or don't they count in this sophisticated reckoning system that you have? Do you know exactly how many mortals died in the world at the hands of demons this year? Do you?" He paused momentarily to glare at them. "Fifty, that's it. A grand total of 50 and each and every one of the demon killers is now dead. Do you know how many were killed the year Mom died? 15,000."  
  
"You just don't get it do you. The old way didn't work. You weren't fighting to preserve good, you were fighting to preserve the Elders at the top of the tree and you were never ever going to win. No matter how many you killed there would always have been more. Is that the life you wanted for Chris and me, for our kids for theirs?"  
  
As he ranted he became more and more upset and the others ducked as pictures and objects in the room rose up and began hurtling around, following a circuit above Wyatt's head, he didn't notice.  
  
Pipe grabbed his hand desperate to calm him down. "Why didn't you tell us? You could have explained how you felt we could have talked to you, helped you."  
  
He looked at her heartbroken. "I was trying to keep them safe, until it was safe. I thought it might protect them from my enemies. I thought they might have believed in me, you did. I never thought...." He looked at Leo and held up the vanquishing potion that he had orbed unnoticed from his father.  
  
"Would you really have done it?" Without waiting for an answer he tossed the vial back to Leo. "Here, take it. For all I care use it. You know what it just doesn't matter any more. You don't matter any more. I guess I was just stupid, I thought family meant something." He laughed hollowly. "Well I won't make that mistake again." He turned to Piper. "Deathbed promise or not. Sorry Mom, not the family reunion you were hoping for."  
  
And with that he orbed out, leaving his family dumbstruck, the only sound being the crash of objects as they hit the floor.

* * *

_Ok, before anyone gets upset with me, I am not still not commenting whether he is good or evil or insane, that's completely your decision - I've got a nice view on this fence and I'm staying here, however, the various members of his family definitely have views about his words and what they should do about him, if you want to know what they think you'll have_ _to come back for the next part _

_Oh alchemist spell is from Cayote Piper, I got it from this really good website I am not sure if I am allowed to post it here so I will do it with gaps - www. charmedpo3. com._


	8. Part 8

_Thank you so much for the feedback, I was really thrilled by the kind things written, particularly as I had expected people to be disappointed. I am sorry about the wait for this part, I hope its worth it, what it lacks in quality it certainly makes up for in quantity - you might want to make a cup of tea before you start, this goes on for ages._

_Stony Angel thanks for the advice on my settings, I wasn't actively discouraging anonymous emails (I am far too much of a review alert junkie for that) I was just too thick to set up the account properly. Hopefully it works now and so if I don't get any anonymous reviews from now on it just mean that the writing sucks._

* * *

At last Chris spoke, "So, no welcome home cake then?" and the spell was broken. Leo looked at him, he wasn't dead, Chris wasn't dead, despite everything Leo had believed for so long his son was still alive and for him at least there could be a future beyond this nightmare. Pushing aside thoughts of Wyatt he grinned, and pulled Chris into a bear hug so tight that he struggled for breath.  
  
Piper watched them, fighting to hide the mixed emotions reflected in her face. "Hey save something for the dead Mom, I've got 9 years of cuddles owed to me mister." and as she held him Chris was comforted with the thought maybe some things had changed for the better. Yet despite their joy at his return, Wyatt's shadow hung over them all and when Piper finally pulled away from Chris she could still hear her other son's voice, filled with anguish, echoing through the room. She looked around as though expecting to see him but saw only the cheap broken ornaments strewn across the floor. Looking with disdain at this mockery of their home she shuddered. "Lets go, this place it gives me the creeps".  
  
By the time they reached Leo's Piper wanted the support of her sisters and she saw the summoning circle with relief. "Honey get your Aunts, they are going to be so thrilled to see you." She turned to smile at Leo and noticed the brewing equipment. "Potions Leo?"  
  
He was saved from her curiosity by the appearance of the rest of the family, who as Piper predicted, were all over Chris. He surrendered to the hugging and the crying and the kissing and the cooing with a wry grin and some real gratification, but was glad when they finally allowed him up for air. Ruffling his hair affectionately Phoebe asked, "So how is this possible, aren't you suppose to be dead?"  
  
He smirked. "Look whose talking, what's with these fabulous bodies you've suddenly all got?"  
  
There was an awkward silence before Piper answered, "Wyatt came up with a spell."  
  
None of her sisters could look at her and Paige tried to change the subject. "You didn't answer the question Dude, I remember a distinctly dead nephew 23 years ago, aren't you gonna tell us how you pulled off the Houdini act?"  
  
There was a longer pause this time, before an increasingly irritated Piper answered. "Wyatt brought him back from the past and the dead." It wasn't fair; the way they all refused to acknowledge Wyatt, he didn't deserve that, not on top of everything else. She misinterpreted the silence that followed her comment as disapproval and the emotions that she had been barely suppressing refused to be contained any longer. "What? I'm not allowed to mention his name now. I at least owe him that considering what a crap Mother I turned out to be, how I trashed his life and left him screwed up and abandoned"  
  
This was too much for Chris. "That's not true. I was there remember, you were a great Mom. Its not your fault he turned into such an evil bastard"  
  
Prue was confused and therefore impatient. "Hey, enough with the cryptic. What did we miss?"  
  
"Nothing important, according to my brother he turned into this century's version of Attila the Hun because he had a miserable childhood and the world was mean to him. Oh yes and he's spent the last few years killing everything that stood in his way as a welcome back to life present for you and Mom. You must be sure to send him a thank you card, in fact better still sign it from the whole planet because apparently he's made the world a safer place for all of us."  
  
"He didn't say that" Piper appealed to her husband for support. "Leo tell them"  
  
He looked at her wearily. "Tell them what Piper?"  
  
Seeing how distressed their sister had become, Paige took Piper's hand while Phoebe sat beside her, rubbing her shoulders. "Well what did he say Honey?"  
  
Piper was playing back the scene in her head, " He said that he doesn't want to bring us back to life because we would just have to fight demons again, but he will when he's made things safer. That he hasn't done all of the things people say he has. That he has been controlling the demon population to stop innocents getting hurt and...and...and..." she faltered, realising how lame this sounded.  
  
Phoebe interrupted. "Hey! What's this about bringing us back to life? My afterlife is just fine, thanks, in fact it's better than fine its perfect."  
  
But Piper, still thinking of Wyatt, wasn't listening." Then he just got so upset; he was all right before Leo came. It was as though..." she slowly looked at the potions equipment then back up at Leo, things finally clicking into place..."Oh No! No. No, NO!" She rose to her feet, glaring at him. "Tell me you didn't? Tell me you didn't try to kill my son?"  
  
"Piper I.." He reached out to her but she smacked his hands away "Don't you dare touch me" she backed off, staring at him in disbelief, flicking her hands frantically as though trying to blow him up. "Useless freaking body. If I had my powers you worthless son of a..."  
  
She stopped; to make the vanquishing potion for Wyatt you needed the Power of Three. She knew she hadn't, so that meant...She couldn't believe it, for a moment she couldn't even feel angry the betrayal was too big to comprehend. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at each of her sisters in turn. Prue grabbed Piper's hands and forced her to look into her face. "Piper, we're sorry. We truly are, but you know how this works".  
  
Piper just looked dazed. "He's my son Prue."  
  
"I know, I know and its not fair and non of us should have to do this but we do."  
  
"But he's my son."  
  
"And I'm your sister, yet you and Phoebe were willing to let me die to save the world from the apocalypse and I hadn't killed any innocents."  
  
"Is that what this is about, some kind of revenge?" She couldn't take in what she was hearing.  
  
"No of course not honey, you know me better than that. I," she gestured to the room, "we, all of us, love you Piper, we really, really, really do and we would give anything not to hurt you, let alone your son." Her eyes were full of tears at the pain and bewilderment she saw in Pipers face. "But you know that sometimes what we do is bigger than us, and to protect the world and innocents we have to make hard choices."  
  
"But he's not evil Prue, Phoebe, you believe me? He's not evil. He's trying to save people, he said so..... LEO TELL THEM."  
  
God he wanted to agree with her "I, I don't know."  
  
She paused and looked at Leo as though seeing him for the first time. "He asked you if you would have done it. Would you?"  
  
He winced at the coldness in her voice but was relieved that he could finally answer one of her questions honestly. "No."  
  
She scrutinised his face trying to detect a lie, at last she was convinced. "Well thats something." and she turned away. Taking this as a sign of relenting he moved towards her.  
  
"NO! You stay away from me". He stopped dead, stung. "All of you stay away from me."  
  
Suddenly she was seething. " Where you even going to tell me or did you hope I wouldn't notice my dead son?" No one could meet her eye. "You're right Prue, to protect your innocents you do have to make hard choices. Well you make yours and I'll make mine and I am warning you, you'd better make damn sure that those choices don't collide.  
  
She made to dematerialise.  
  
"Mom" Chris held out his hand to her.  
  
"NO!" Then realising he was the only one she was not mad at she toned it down "No Chris, I need to be on my own right now." and with that she faded away.  
  
Paige let out a long breath." Well I think she took that better than expected don't you?"

* * *

He orbed to his office to be alone, more upset than he could ever remember. The sight of Tiathon sprawled in his chair was an unpleasant surprise, apparently for both of them as Tiathon hastily jumped up. On another day this undignified scramble by the powerful demon would have entertained Wyatt but today it was just a further irritation.  
  
"Wyatt! I wasn't expecting you."  
  
"Obviously." Wyatt said dryly. "And you are here because..?"  
  
"I," Tiathon quickly recovered his poise. "I was putting together some recommendations for future bodyguards. You seem to have run through a number of them recently."  
  
Was that some kind of threat? An insinuation that Wyatt was losing control? Maybe even weak? Was Tiathon planning something? As usual Wyatt couldn't get a thought reading. He didn't need this, not right now. He tolerated Tiathon partly for his ruthless intelligence but mainly to keep him close. Tiathon was one of the very few with sufficient ability and following to challenge Wyatt's leadership of the underworld.  
  
He could not afford to display his inner turmoil now. "Some of your previous choices have proven poor, I made my own arrangements for Loquarious's replacement"  
  
He flicked his fingers and a figure materialised on cue, quickly took in his surrounding and the situation before calmly establishing a position by the door.  
  
"Was there anything else?" Wyatt, now cloaked in his full majesty, was an intimidating sight.  
  
Tiathon made a credible attempt to smile through gritted teeth, annoyed at himself for being so presumptuous, how could he have believed that snivelling Elder's promise of Wyatt's death. "No. I am sorry to have disturbed you" He shimmered out leaving Wyatt to his thoughts.  
  
Leo had had a potion to vanquish him. His Dad had sat down schemed and cold bloodedly planned to kill him. No, it didn't work, no matter how many times he ran the sentence through his head he couldn't take it in. His childhood had sucked in so many ways but one thing he had known, known without any shadow of a doubt was that his parents truly loved him and for as long he could remember Leo had been Wyatt's hero. In many ways their estrangement had been the hardest part of Wyatt's plans but he had consoled himself with thought that it was only temporary, a necessary evil to safeguard Leo and Chris from his enemies. Pretty much invincible himself the frailty of his family frightened him and the fact he had been unable to save his mother and aunts had shaken him to the core. His aunts! They must all have been involved too, unless his mother...NO! He relaxed slightly. No, it wasn't her; he didn't need to read her thoughts to know that.  
  
The new guard moved, attracting Wyatt's attention and he thought about dismissing him then stopped. The guard's presence there would be a deterrent to his Mom who was certain to come. He couldn't talk to her now.  
  
How had it come to this? At the start it had been so clear. When his Mom died he was consumed by sadness for all of them, but most of all for her. She had deserved a better life. Around him everyday he saw greedy people, mean people, selfish people all living lives that she could have only dreamed of. Yet his father was a good man, the finest, and they had adored each other, his Aunts were loving and supportive, her businesses had been successful and his mother's desires had not been unreasonable, yet her life had been wretched, every part contaminated by their magical destiny. It wasn't fair, if his family, the very best of people trying as hard as they could, failed to break through this cycle of death and desolation then what was the point?  
  
The burden of his powers oppressed him. He knew that he was blessed, unique, the ultimate weapon for good, but after her death he no longer had any enthusiasm for the fight. So very like his mother he craved an ordinary life for both of them. It seemed such a little thing and he could see no value to his powers if they could not even gain him this. Slowly a thought developed, maybe they could, maybe that's exactly why he had them, maybe it was his destiny to change things. But how?  
  
With his vanquish of the Source came an epiphany. If Wyatt spent every day of his life trying to kill every evil being he could find, it wouldn't even make a dint on their numbers, however, if he could control them, control their behaviour he wouldn't need to kill at all. Intrigued by the thought he made himself the new Source and watched, amazed. He had always been taught that Evil existed purely to be evil. Good beings sought to nurture and create, where as Evil lived only for destruction. It wasn't true. His new subjects hungered for more powers, or more followers, or a higher status. Some even loved and cared for each other and their families. While a few needed to feed on mortals to survive the vast majority attacked only to move up the power hierarchy. Wyatt realised that if he could control that hierarchy he could change everything.  
  
But it hadn't been easy. Fear, and the now legendary Wyatt Halliwell was greatly feared, went only so far and in the early days he had worked day and night to make pacts, find allies, consolidate his position. The massacre of the wood nymphs had been a watershed. Intent on fooling the underworld the simple ruse of faking the wood nymphs' vanquish had seemed obvious. He had never even considered his family's response, believing in them implicitly he'd simply taken their trust for granted.  
  
Leo's reaction devastated him.  
  
Wyatt had never seen his Dad like that. He had tried to speak out, to explain, but couldn't find words to withstand the onslaught of his father's fury and despair. For the first time in years Wyatt could hear Leo's thoughts and they were screaming to be heard, beneath the emotional tirade was a single idea repeating again and again– It had happened at last. Wyatt was stunned; there was no benefit of the doubt, no loving confidence, all the good he had ever done was irrelevant, his father had been simply waiting for him to go bad for years.  
  
Horrified he thought about giving up then and it was Piper's presence that strengthened him, he felt her night after night, whenever he was most vulnerable he felt her trust and love and knew he couldn't let her down. He had to rescue her, rescue all of them and now he had to prove his father wrong, make him proud. Immersed in his task it wasn't until he had completely subjugated the Demon world that he realised that it was not enough. With every vigilante witch primed to attack by the Elders how could it be? The naivety of his original plan seemed laughable, like believing he could balance one side of a seesaw alone. But by now he was relentless, he was The Wyatt Halliwell and if he needed to control every single magical creature alive to stop the fighting, to save his family, to regain his father's favour then that's what he would do. Phase two of his plans began.  
  
In his lonelier moments he still thought about calling Leo and Chris, often, but the risk to them of being seen with him was too great, besides he no longer trusted their support and was too resentful explain his actions. Promising himself it was only temporary, that they would come to appreciate him in the end, he cut them out of his life when he needed them most and it was then that he started to make the other sacrifices.  
  
At first he tried to play nice he really did. He spent months trying to win over and coax the various parties of good into his Alliance but with the Elders stood against him, urging suspicion and resistance no one would listen, no one would trust him. Frustrated and used to success, he reverted to the more familiar methods of persuasion he had employed on the underworld. They proved very effective. He could still visualize the first group of innocents he killed, their faces and cries for mercy had haunted him for weeks, robbing him of his sleep and purpose, but the second was easier and third failed to register at all. He convinced himself that the deaths were necessary for the greater good, arguing that when everyone was in his Alliance all killing would stop. Shutting his ears to the agonised screams of the present he concentrated on his idealised world of the future, focusing so obsessively on the big picture nothing else seemed to matter.  
  
Until now. His father wanted him dead, his brother had travelled into the past to try and stop him, and his aunts had tried to vanquish him. His grand plans to restore his family suddenly seemed seriously flawed. He could no longer delude himself that deep down they still loved him and would come to value his deeds. With terrible clarity he saw himself through their eyes and recognised the evil thing that they always knew he would become. Where they right? Was he a monster? He no longer knew and wasn't sure that he cared. What did it matter if he remade the world now he had no family to share it? He had come so near, so very near his final goal, with only the Elders themselves left between himself and total control of the magical world and now at the final hour victory was hollow. He realised that everything he had done, every sacrifice he had made was for nothing.  
  
Finally out of his own thoughts, he became aware of the guard's. Intrigued Wyatt looked up and stared at him for a moment.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
The guard startled at being addressed jumped to attention "Mark. Sir" He had a light lisp.  
  
Ah, there it was, you could just see it when he spoke, Wyatt smiled "It an unusual name for a manticore"  
  
"Half manticore." It was obviously a sensitive point. "My human father gave it to me, he was an unusual man." The forked tongue was more evident now. The guard hesitated; he had worked so hard to get here, desperate to serve this man, whom he owed so much. Born bad, brought up good, all his life he had been an outcast, fitting no where until Wyatt had transformed the world and given him the chance to find a place in it without labels. He couldn't mess this up, finally he had a chance to say thank you. He cleared his throat.  
  
Wyatt placed a hand on his shoulder before the guard could speak. "No. Thank you" Maybe it hadn't been all for nothing after all.

* * *

"DAMN IT!" Leo kicked the wall before turning to Chris. "How about you?" Chris looked confused. "Well I'm 2 for 2 at the minute, you thinking about storming out as well? God knows I've given you enough reason over the few years."  
  
Chris smiled. "Nah, I'm cool for now thanks. You forget I've had a year to work through my issues, and the incident in the spider demon's cave, had to be worth two years of counselling sessions alone."  
  
Phoebe tried to lighten the moment. "Hey does this mean that we can finally ask you questions. I swear if I'd heard you put me off with "it might jeopardise the future" one more time...."  
  
Paige chipped in "Oh yeah - damn that was annoying and what was all that about Wyatt turning evil before you were born rubbish, the kid was an angel and lets face it, its not like we weren't watching for it."  
  
After a year of hedging it was a relief to be honest. He smiled at Page. "It was you, you and Phoebe, I overheard you when we were kids, Wyatt and me we were in trouble, nothing bad just kid stuff and you were all freakin out. Paige said you were over reacting, that it didn't prove Wyatt was evil and that everyone was just paranoid about him being since I came along and I..." He stopped, they were all staring at him, he realised what he had just said. "Oh."  
  
Paige sighed. "Time travel just sucks."  
  
Prue turned to Leo." Since when did the future become this fixed circle anyway? We've time travelled before and changed things, We stopped Nicolas, made sure Melinda was born and you guys met Granddad and Piper stopped everyone from getting killed over Phoebe's rebound guy, when did the rules change?"  
  
Leo was thoughtful. "I don't know, maybe you didn't change anything then either, maybe like Chris your trips back in time and their effects were part of the grand plan, and always destined to happen."  
  
Phoebe became indignant "I don't buy that.Hello remember me burnt at the stake in a very different future, not to mention your nonexistent daughter, and as for...why are you suddenly looking so shifty, what is it your not telling us Leo."  
  
"That wasn't the future, it was an illusion made by the Elders to teach you a lesson, it was based on a distortion of Prue's ambitions and Piper's hopes." He could see that nobody was impressed and he grew defensive "Look I didn't know at the time and then what was the use in saying. Prue was dead and..."  
  
He was rescued by Prue. "I think that's all irrelevant now. What we should be talking about is Wyatt? Now that Piper's gone what's the deal Leo, is he evil?"  
  
"I just don't know, some of what he says makes sense, its just I ...."  
  
Chris can't believe what hes hearing. "WHAT? Don't tell me all that crap he was spouting has taken you in. Dad he kills people, lots and lots and lots of people, good people whose only crime was to get in his way and what was with those figures he was spouting, who the hell compiled those, the world famous Institute of Demon statistics?"  
  
Leo undaunted by his son's scorn. "Its common knowledge that Demon killings are down, we thought it was a side effect of Wyatt's Alliance." He thought bitterly that it had never even occurred to him it might be an aim. What sort of father was he?  
  
"No Dad, I know that you and Mom want to believe in him, but I've had it. I tried everything I could and it didn't work, he is a killer, not for the greater good of mankind, just the greater good of Wyatt Halliwell. I know that now. If we weren't his family both of us would be dead and you know it. Am I supposed to just forget that he killed my friends, that he killed Bianca?" He stopped, he hadn't meant to say that, he was an expert now at not mentioning her name, not thinking of her, ignoring that ache.  
  
Leo saw his face and said gently. "He didn't kill her."  
  
"Yes Dad he did. I was there."  
  
"No you weren't, you went back to the past, Piper was there, she told me that he healed Bianca and sent her home. She's not dead son".  
  
Chris just gaped, torn. Not wanting to let go of the idea of Wyatt the Tyrant but the hope that Bianca could still be there refused to be ignored. "I.." He orbed out.  
  
Leo looked ruefully at where he had stood "3 for 3. Anyone else?"  
  
"Ahem" They all turned to Paige. She was holding the bowl that had held the remains of the vanquishing potion, it was empty. She turned it upside down. "Not wanting to be all Paranoid Patty but I think we may have a problem" She looked around at the glum faces of her remaining family and corrected herself. "Another problem" 


	9. Part 9

_

* * *

Hello. Anyone still there? I know its been a very, very long time, and I'm am really sorry. Please come and read this next piece, if it helps its another quite long part and as a further enticement I've put some Chris in it. Still not takers, mmm tough crowd. How about if I promise to stop Wyatt from ramble on about his feelings again._

_In the hope that the extremely kind_ **Stony Angel**_,_ **Ligia Elena, Emma15**_ and _**Ayrlee**_ do read this thank you very much for the reviews. I don't have the vocabularly to cover how happy they made me, but then again I don't think the dictionary has either._

* * *

What was he doing here? This was madness. It wasn't like him. He should go back, confer with the other elders. That would be the sensible thing to do, the right thing to do. To continue on this path went against all his instincts, against everything that he believed to be right, all his training as a whitelighter and elder. Though long immune to the cold he shivered as he looked across the bridge. The view of San Francisco in the distance was stunning but he could feel no appreciation for it, just exposed. This had to be a trap. He felt sick, what was taking so long? Something must be wrong, Wyatt knew, he was out there watching, laughing, waiting about to pounce. 

Tiathon's sudden appearance startled him and he nearly fell of the bridge. Flustered he gathered his tattered dignity around him hoping that Tiathon hadn't noticed, the Demon laughed.

"Thanks Elder, I thought this would be dull as well as pointless, the comic relief is a bonus."

Graden bristled. "Well its about time, I've been trying to reach you for two weeks."

Tiathon affected anxious concern. "Oh no. I'm so sorry to have inconvenienced you. Was it something urgent? Did you want to tell me how you completely screwed up and didn't vanquish Wyatt after all?" He leaned closer to the elder making Graden wince as he said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Too late, I'd already noticed." Tiathon's mock good humour vanished and he continued more menacingly. "So with all hope gone I suppose I should just salvage what pleasure I can."

There was no mistaking his meaning and Graden almost squeaked. "WAIT! Wait, don't be too hasty, its not over. We can still vanquish him."

Tiathon's hands were twitching. It had been a bad week; he could swear that Wyatt suspected something and it was making Tiathon nervous. Wyatt wasn't known for his patience, or restraint. If he decided that there was even a possibility that Tiathon was a threat then his life would be over, no appeals and definitely no chance to argue his case. As for that officious new bodyguard, Wyatt hardly let him out of his sight. Tiathon looked at the elder longingly, comic relief wasn't the only pleasure an elder could provide. He sighed and restrained himself, what difference would 5 minutes make?

"I'm all ears. Really." The sneer was calculated. "Are you going to try and convince me that the other elder didn't fail to vanquish Wyatt?"

"He never even tried." Graden's face took on an expression of contempt. "I knew all along that he wouldn't be able to go through with it, Leo isn't..." Graden hesitated a moment. " Well he just can't be trusted where his family is concerned"

For fucks sake, what was this, some kind of cosmic joke? He was plotting to kill the most dangerous creature in the universe and he had to rely on Laurel and Hardy. No wonder Wyatt and his Alliance was wiping the floor with the Elders, they were idiots. "I'm sorry, did I miss the part which explained why I wouldn't be killing you. I'm still at no Leo equals no potion equals you being no use to me at all."

Graden raised his hand hastily as though to fend the demon off. "No, no, there is a potion, it's just that Leo wouldn't use it."

Tiathon paused, his interest finally piqued. "And do you think you can get it?"

For the first time in days Graden relaxed. "I already have and before you ask it's in a very safe place, where only I can retrieve it."

There was a moments pointed silence, which Tiathon used to rearrange his expression from that of impatient predator to trusty ally.

He gave the elder an engaging smile. "I never doubted you for a minute".

Graden raised his eyebrows and said dryly. "I noticed. Now lets talk tactics."

* * *

Mark walked back into Wyatt's suite looking thoughtfully at the envelope in his hand. The Elder had seemed if anything even more desperate this time, frantically trying to break through Wyatt's magical barrier, entreating Mark to help him. 

Mark looked across at Wyatt who stood silently communing, with whom? Himself? One of his subjects? After two weeks service Mark was still no closer to understanding this man. Perhaps that was a good thing, considering what had happened to Loquarious. The other guards warned Mark not to get too close, but he wanted to help so badly sometimes it was difficult to draw back.

He looked back down at the envelope; the Elder had said it was vital.

When he looked up again, Wyatt was watching him expressionless. It was unnerving this silent scrutiny; sometimes it was as though he could read your thoughts.

Wyatt smiled at something and then indicated the letter. "So he came back again." his tone was full of satisfaction. "Good. File it with the others."

Mark walked towards the bin then hesitated perhaps he should say how important it seemed.

"Something to say Mark?"

"Its just it might be important. Sir."

Wyatt gave a twisted smiled. "No doubt it is, just not to me."

* * *

Prue looked at Leo doubtfully. "You are sure about this?" 

"No, not even nearly, but I've tried everything else."

"And vanquishing him is definitely not an option?" She spoke carefully, knowing the answer already.

Phoebe interrupted before Leo could reply. "No it isn't. I let you guys talk me into this before and all we got was a pissed off Piper. We are not going down that route again."

Paige patted Leo on the back. "Look on the bright side big man, she can't blow you up any more."

Phoebe grinned. "Are we talking figuratively or literally here?" All three sisters smiled at Leo's obvious discomfort.

Prue turned to him. "Seriously Leo, if you want us to stay..."

"Hey speak for yourself. We only agreed to dragging Piper here against her will on the very specific understanding that we would be gone when she arrived." Phoebe looked to Paige for support and got it. "You're on your own this time Leo. Demon's, warlocks and various evil dudes yes, pissed off Piper a definite no."

Prue glared at her sisters before Leo intervened. He smiled ruefully. "No Prue, its OK they're right, this is my responsibility, anyway, we need to talk, just the two of us."

There seemed little else to say and the sisters grouped together holding hands to chant.

**_"The power of 3 can't be denied._**

**_Our wished Piper must abide._**

**_We wish her here. We will not wait._**

**_To attend us now is Piper's fate"_**

As Piper's struggling form slowly began to materialise they vanished.

Piper gave up fighting and quickly came into focus. "Well you got me here, what..." She looked around angrily, expecting to see her sisters and was surprised to see Leo, alone. "You?"

"Hello Piper." He smiled sheepishly. "We need to talk."

There were a million clever answers to that, but instead she gave him an appraising hard stare and waited.

Leo watched her carefully. Ok, so no shouting, or sarcasm, no instinctive attempts to blow him up, that was either a really, really good sign or very bad one. He took a deep breath. "I need your help, or rather Wyatt needs your help."

She hadn't expected that and her surprise showed. To Leo's experienced eye there was a slight thawing in her expression, but she still said nothing, so he continued. "It's the potion, someone stole it, and Wyatt needs to know he's in danger."

She finally cut in, her tone icy. "More danger than his family trying to kill him?"

"Piper please. I get it. You hate me, Wyatt hates me, the elders hate me, even I hate me, but this isn't about me, or even what's right. All I know is I don't want my son to die and I can't get anywhere near to warn him, he is blocking me out. You are the only one who can reach him."

"No."

Leo was shocked and taken aback. "You can't hate me this much, not at the expense of Wyatt...."

All the fight left her. She coalesced and sat down suddenly. "Leo I didn't say I wouldn't help, I can't. You're not the only one he is keeping away. He's got some magical barrier against me too." She was too forlorn to even pretend to be angry any more. "Apparently he is not at home to family period."

He sat beside her. "I'm so sorry Piper"

She managed a small smile. "Why? You are not the one he is killing for. Some sons show their love by visiting their mother's grave, mine..." She didn't finish the sentence and they sat for a moment each in thought.

Piper finally broke the silence, saying uncertainly. "Does this mean that you don't think he is completely evil?" She looked at him pleadingly. "He is trying to do good..."

"I know honey, and that counts for a lot, it's just...."

"You don't think that there can ever be any justification for killing innocents." Her voice was expressionless and he looked at her with apprehension, was this the start of another argument? Her face just showed doubt and pain.

"How can I? If he is right then everything I have ever believed is wrong. Every sacrifice that I have ever made." He hesitated. "That we have ever made is pointless, your Mom, Prue, You, Paige, Phoebe, us. I just can't accept that, all those years all that pain for nothing, and yet..."

"And yet despite all that you want to believe he is right so much it hurts."

So she did feel the same. He took her hand and squeezed it gently, reassured she smiled up at him and recognising their common fears for a moment each felt comfort in not being alone.

But the moment passed, she looked away hopelessly and without expecting a reply asked. "So what do we do now?"

"We save him." Leo's positive response surprised them both, but he thought why not? They had overcome worse, probably, and with Piper on his side he suddenly felt that nothing was impossible.

Piper on the other hand was finding his u-turn more of a struggle. "Wait, wait a minute, I thought you said it was inevitable that he would become an evil tyrant and..." She hated herself for saying this " ...that there could be no coming back from evil."

"It was inevitable, just as it was inevitable that Chris would go back in time and die in my arms, but now that's history. What happens next nobody knows." He grinned with excitement at the prospect of finally having an unknown future. "And as for coming back from evil, since when did you listen to Elder propaganda?"

She began to catch his enthusiasm. "You're right, we can do this. We just need to give him what he really wants."

Leo was momentarily taken aback. "What world domination?" Had she gone mad?

"No Leo, keep up, that's not what he wants, that's just the means to his ends. What he really wants is his family back, all of us and that's something that we can do, the rest is just..." Piper stiffened. "Oh no, the potion. Who has it?"

His good mood faded slightly, how could he have forgotten? "I don't know. The only ones who knew about it were Graden and Tiathon."

"Tiathon? Wyatt's Tiathon?" Her tone was incredulous.

"Long story. It can't have been him anyway, there is no way he could get up here, but Graden says he doesn't know anything about its disappearance and I can't believe he would lie to me, he's an elder."

Piper was scornful. "Oh right and they never lie, or try to kill our sons."

Realising that she was right Leo got up quickly, taking Piper by surprise. "Where are you going?"

"To get Graden. You get Chris and send him to me, maybe together we can find a way past Wyatt's barrier."

Eager for action he orbed out without giving Piper a chance to reply. She smiled, happier than she could have thought possible an hour ago, she thought of Leo and the smile grew wider, until he unexpectedly reappeared seconds later with an anxious expression. "What? What happened?"

Her alarm turned to amazement when he took her in his arms and kissed her.

She broke away impressed. "Leo! Very smooth, have you been practising?"

He grinned. "I love you." He felt foolish, but for some reason it had seemed vital he came back to tell her.

Piper laughed, pleased and amused. "I know that silly, now go save my son."

* * *

Bianca giggled, it had been a good couple of weeks, the best she'd ever had, surprising really as she'd hardly got out of bed. 

Chris's head appeared from beneath the covers and he looked at her with mock disapproval. "Was that a giggle I heard? A little respect please, its not good for a man's ego."

She pushed aside a lock of his hair so that she could better see those green eyes. "Oh I think that an ego as big as yours might just survive, besides you're wrong, Phoenix witches never giggle, its bad for our image."

He grinned wickedly. "Really? So if I tickled you here, nothing would happen."

"No! No Chris don't you dare."

She tried to wriggle away but he was too fast for her and then it was too late she was gone, too giddy from laughing to fight him off.

"What about here?" He was remorseless.

Gasping for breath she just managed. "Stop it, stop it, you'll pay for this. I'll..."

Suddenly she stopped laughing, pushed Chris away and grabbed the sheets around her. Seeing her terrified expression he jumped out of the bed his arms raised for attack, expecting a demon, what he saw was worse, much, much, much worse.

"MOM!"

Piper was amused at his horror. "Chris put some clothes on and stop gaping, that's not a good look."

* * *

_Ok, so I admit that to make you read this I might have implied that there would be a bit more Chris than this little bit at the end - sorry. You could always think of it as a teaser for the next part, hes in that a lot, which is surprising, well to me anyway, as if it wasn't for a promise I made to Stony Angel he would probably still by dieing on Piper's bed in 2004. No I can't decide if that end bit with Piper and Leo works either, but you all got naked Chris in bed, so I think I should be allowed to indulge myself with a loving, slightly romantic Leo - whose story is this anyway?_ _(Ligia Elena really sorry about the gramma, at some point I seem to have lost the ability to construct a sentence)._


	10. Part 10

_Hurray! Lovely new reviewers, welcome to the story **wickedwms**, **teal-lover** and **rhia.** Thank you very, very, very much for the reviews and kind words, although teal-lover you made me work hard to squash in your request and I'm blaming you if everyone has to put up with a bit more Wyatt angst. ; )_

_For reasons you'll see I am slightly less grateful to **Stony Angel** than usual even though she is nicer to me than I deserve, **Arylee** two reviews I am very happy and very flattered, particularly coming from you and **Emma15** you don't know how much I look forward to your enthusiastic comments - seriously, thank you. As for **Ligia Eleana**, sorry could everyone else just turn away for a moment - _NOOOO!, where did you go? What did I do? Was it naked Chris? Please come back._ - Ahem, thank you, you can all turn back now._

_Ok now thats off my chest, the final part of the story will be sometime this week, no honestly. - amazingly enough I even know what happens._

* * *

His face was impassive, the embodiment of calm indifference. Inside Tiathon seethed. It had been forty minutes. For FORTY MINUTES he had stood there like some lackey, waiting for Wyatt to acknowledge his existence. 

Tiathon studied the familiar face, each line, each mark and expression, was etched into his mind and he loathed every single one passionately, as for the hair! He shifted his weight slightly and glanced at Mark stood some distance away, the temptation to hurl a fireball at Wyatt now, while he sat there defenceless and unaware, was almost overwhelming. To see him engulfed in the blaze, flames blistering his skin. No, better still an acid ball, skin peeling away layer by layer revealing meat and veins and sinew and bones. He grinned savagely, hearing Wyatt's dying screams in his mind, there could be no better music.

Wyatt's eyes were closed and his head laid back in an attitude of total relaxation, an athame plunging into that exposed throat would end him forever. Tiathon dragged himself back to reality, for a moment uneasy that Wyatt could hear his traitorous thoughts. No, if that were true he would already be dead. Reluctantly he put aside his fantasies knowing that this appearance of vulnerability was just an illusion, the more defenceless Wyatt looked the more dangerous he would be. It would be safer to stick with plan A, even if that meant depending on the spineless elder. Thinking of whom...

Tiathon coughed and Wyatt leisurely opened an eye. The arrogant bastard didn't even deign to look apologetic. Taking a deep breath Tiathon managed a pleasant smile. "Its about the elders, they have requested a meeting, a delegation would like to see you today – I think that they wish to capitulate."

Wyatt was surprised, his thoughts jumped to Leo. "That's unexpected, not to mention unlikely, do you think it's a trap?"

Was his father behind this? Another ruse to vanquish him? He quickly rejected the thought, even as he had stormed out of the Manor he had known that wouldn't happen, then why arrange this meeting? Was Leo that desperate to see him that he would involve other elders, Wyatt thought of all the letters

Tiathon was talking. ".... shouldn't think so, I wouldn't give them that much credit. So will you see them?"

"NO!"

It was Tiathon's turn to be surprised and it showed.

Wyatt inwardly cursed, that wasn't supposed to have come out. Maybe he was wrong and the deputation was genuine. He desperately didn't want to see Leo and would have given a lot to ask Tiathon if his father would be amongst delegation. He contemplated stipulating that he would only meet with the elders if Leo wasn't involved, but that hardly sent a message of strength to his enemies. No, if he did this he had to do it properly, like the leader he was which would mean, if necessary, facing Leo. He would have to lower the barrier.

"Wyatt?" Tiathon looked curious, Wyatt pulled himself together, it didn't do to look so indecisive in front of the demon.

"Bring them on. So, the Elders may be giving in at last" He had known that he was close, but not as close as this. Wyatt managed a wry smile at fate and his pyrrhic victory before attempting to appear more business like. "If they join us, who does that leave outside?"

"Of any note, just the demons you blacklisted, unless of course you've changed your mind?" Tiathon asked this familiar question as a matter of form. Who cared? Wyatt would be dead in hours and his bastard alliance with him; to his amazement Wyatt actually appeared to be considering his answer.

Why didn't he, it was obviously what his family expected of him. These demons were powerful beasts and could make strong allies, so what if they needed to kill mortals to survive. Wyatt came to a decision.

"No, my rules still stand, they remain on the vanquish list" With nothing else to hold on to all he had were his plans for the Alliance, and barren though that was it was better than nothing.

He turned to Mark, stood against a wall. "Yes?"

Mark was surprised to be noticed, let alone asked his opinion. "Elders are powerful and I, well I was just thinking it might be dangerous."

Wyatt laughed. "Elders? I killed my first one before I was two." Not strictly true, but it was good for the image. "They are no threat to me."

Tiathon smiled as he left, laugh while you can pretty boy your time is coming.

Wyatt looked over at Mark, distracted by the guard's racing mind, Wyatt sighed.

Since the confrontation with his family, Wyatt increasingly found himself viewing his actions through their eyes and he shied from what he saw. His old rationalization seemed to crumble under the scrutiny, his atrocities laid bare for what they were. While he still believed in his Alliance, at night it wasn't success he dreamed of but the accusing eyes of his family as victim after victim denounced him.

The strain was beginning to tell and to escape from his own thoughts he found himself increasingly holidaying in Mark's. Usually the hero worship that he found there acted as a balm, soothing Wyatt's nerves and shoring up his floundering self-image, but not always. Occasionally Mark would begin to speculation in areas that only Wyatt's conscience was willing to go. He could feel it happening now and as a diversionary tactic he quickly asked about Marks father, Derek.

Wyatt enjoyed Mark's thoughts of his father, which was fortunate as Mark dwelt on him a lot, he had evidently been a man of decided opinions and some choice phrases. Mark's highly entertaining speculation on what Derek would make of Tiathon had just passed a particularly amusing 40 minutes, where as Derek's credited opinion of Wyatt himself was much more flattering, if not so accurate. The great love Mark had for his father was reminiscent of Wyatt's own and he was affected without realising why. With every thought of Derek that he shared with Mark Wyatt felt the loss of Leo that bit more.

"So how did your father manage to rescue you from the other manticores?"

Marks face lit up at the prospect of talking about Derek. "He took potions to make himself strong enough to fight; they made him inhuman, a beast"

Wyatt was interested despite himself "And that enabled him to kill them?"

"Oh no he was helped by witches; they rescued me and then made him human again. He used to call them miracles, answers to a prayer he had never dared to make" Mark hesitated as though about to say more then was silent.

Wyatt read his thoughts, so he had played with Mark as a baby? Wyatt couldn't remember that, why would he? Mark would have been just one more innocent amongst the cavalcade that traipsed through his childhood. Still, he might have known Piper would have been involved and looking at Mark, what he had become out of such beginnings, he was proud of her, of all of them.

He smiled at Mark. "It's lucky that your father didn't do anything terrible when he was a beast."

Mark was surprised. "What makes you think he didn't?"

"Because you can't come back from evil." The reply was unthinking, a fundamental truth so emblazoned on Wyatt's psyche that he had never even questioned it.

Mark laughed at this naivety, and then abruptly stopped, remembered where he was and to whom he was talking. "Who says that?"

"Le.." Wyatt stopped. "the Eld..." he hesitated again before finally finishing weakly with "everyone knows that."

"But it doesn't make sense. Everyone does evil things at some point. Dad did loads of bad things, so did I when I was a kid and trying to figure out who I was. Dad always said it's not where you've come from that counts but were you are going."

Wyatt looked away. After a moment he said quietly. "He was wrong."

* * *

"NO! Are you deaf? Did you not hear me the other 57 times?" Chris began to pace the room in frustration. 

Piper caught his arm. "Oh no Mister, you don't get to talk to me like that, ever"

He pulled free. "Or what, you'll haunt me? - Too late".

They stood glaring at each other, looking like bookends and Bianca on the sidelines wanted to laugh at the picture. There could be no doubt whose son he was and to see her clever, passionate, sarcastic fiancée finally meet his match was something she would have paid money for. Still, this had gone on long enough and was beginning to get old.

She tried to intervene. "Look, why don't..."

"NO!"

She suppressed a smile. "Stereo. Well at least you agree on something."

They took a small break from glaring at each other to glare at her.

Piper tried again. "Please Chris. Wyatt needs you, we all do. If you didn't think he was worth saving you wouldn't have gone back, and he did save you."

"I wouldn't have needed saving if it hadn't been for him. Accept it Mom, I'm through, I gave it my best shot. Hell I gave it everything I had and I changed nothing. I finally get it. Wyatt is evil, not because a demon changed him, or because he didn't get enough attention as a kid, it's just who he is and nothing you or I can do will change that. Call up the newspapers, a Halliwell has finally learned to let something go."

There was a pause, before Piper said quietly. "He didn't give up on you."

"Yeah! Well good for Wyatt, he comes top in the stubborn stakes as well as everything else. Why count the corpses when you can admire that level of tenacity." Piper looked hurt, to Bianca's mind deliberately so.

Chris tried to make amends.

"I'm sorry Mom, can't we just leave it?" He took her hand. "I finally have the two women I love together in one room and I had wanted your meeting to be special."

But Piper was not that easily sidetracked, she looked at Bianca coldly. " We've already met, I found the athame to my throat a particularly special introduction and I'm sure your father is looking forward to being knocked out again soon. And while we are on the subject, can I ask is the hand of death in the chest thing, a gesture of affection you extend to everyone or just my sons?"

Even while reeling from the attack on her, Bianca mentally applauded Piper's style. Damn she was good. Having rendered the two of them speechless, Piper went straight back to the fight with a subtle ruthlessness that took Bianca's breath away.

"Is that what this is about, your feelings of inadequacy towards your brother?"

"NO! God no way! How could you think that? It's just, it's just I refuse to waste any more of my time on him."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "I see, you've got better things to be doing." She gave a disdainful look in the direction of Bianca, who despite herself blushed. The woman was merciless, no way would Bianca ever argue with her.

Chris, mortified, began to backtrack. "That's not what I meant...I just" but it was all over, for most of their encounter he had tried to block out the toe curling embarrassment of his mothers arrival and almost had, now it came crashing back in full force. With all his instincts shouting for him to run away and hide it was impossible to argue from a position of moral indignation. Knowing he was beaten he looked away sulkily. "Why is it that everyone is always so desperate to save Wyatt?"

Bianca smiled."Funnily enough that's exactly what he said about you just after he saved my life."

He looked at her, vibrant and beautiful and most importantly alive, because of Wyatt. When it came down to it he had never had a choice to make. He sighed. "So where is Dad?"

Piper smiled contentedly at her future daughter-in-law, maybe she would work out after all.

* * *

"Am I late? I missed the memo." Leo spoke pleasantly but as he took in the furtive gathering of elders he had orbed in on his heart sank. This had to be about Wyatt. 

A few of the elders looked uncomfortable, but nobody replied. Leo spotted Graden holding a vial. "I guess this means that you stole the potion after all."

Graden turned away, torn between shame and anger that his deviousness was so publicly exposed.

Another elder stepped forward and placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. "I realise how this appears, but we just wanted to spare you the pain of having to choose between us."

Leo looked around at his colleagues and friends, some he had known for decades. So this was what it must have felt like for Piper. He smiled sadly. "How could you know me so little? I've been a loyal and proud servant to the Elders for almost a century. There was never a choice to make."

Before anyone could react he orbed the potion from Graden while sending a wave of energy into the surrounding crowd of elders, blasting them from their feet and sending them crashing into their neighbours. It was chaos and in the confusion Leo quietly orbed out.

Well almost. Streaks of blue light flashed out from elders throughout the room converging on his orb cloud and dragging him back. He jerked into focus suddenly falling on his ass, for a moment disorientated. The blue light formed a silhouette around leo before it gracefully evolved into a shimmering ball encircling him,. Realising what was happening Leo tried again to orb out, but it was too late, he was trapped. He looked out at the blue tinted world beyond his prison, at the grim expressions of the recovering elders and gripped the vial tightly.

Having tried, and failed, to orb the potion from Leo's determined grasp Graden tried a different tack. "Let it go Leo, this is exactly what we wanted to avoid. We are all your friends here, no one wants to hurt you."

Leo was unimpressed. "Is that a threat?"

"Of course not, we're the good guys remember." Garden's smile was warm and friendly. "Give me the potion."

"No. He is my son and he can be saved."

The smile slipped. "Before or after he destroys us all?"

They tried everything. Taking it in turns to reason and plead with him, appealing to his loyalty, his better nature, his sense of duty, the well being of his charges and it was hard to resist. They were not evil or his enemy and he understood their position completely, how could he not, it had been his own only two weeks before, but not now. Now it was different, now that the black cloud of inevitability had been lifted Leo knew things could be different and while there was even a chance for his son he would protect him.

As time moved on the elders became increasing agitated, Leo could see them splitting into factions and arguing with each other furiously. He considered breaking the vial, but realised it would be pointless they would just orb the spilt potion into another container.

He could make out Graden's voice above the rest. "We are running out of time, if we don't act now it will be too late." Frustrated he approached the ball. "Leo, I am asking you for the last time, give me the vial."

"Or what, you'll hurt me? An innocent, that's a serious line to cross Graden, once there what makes you better than Wyatt?"

Furious Graden spat out. "This is for the greater good."

Leo smiled. "Funnily enough my son says the same thing."

"Enough!" Graden turned and strode towards the others raising his hand as a signal. Immediately bolts of electricity shot through the air encasing the ball. Leo screamed, his body shuddering as wave after wave of pain jolted through him At last it stopped and to week to stand he fell to the floor sobbing, with the vial still tightly grasped in his hand.

Graden walked back to him, ignoring the outcry of protesting elders. "Nobody wants this Leo, see sense. That was just a taster and you know you can't stand out forever. It's hurting now I know and it will just get worse, let us help you. Give me the vial and the pain will stop, we can heal you. Think about it."

Unable to ignore the clamouring any longer Graden turned to the others raising his hand for silence. "My friends. I know how you feel, no one here loves Leo more than I but we have no choice. If there were any other way believe me I would gladly grasp it, but there isn't. We have been given one chance to vanquish this monster and time is running out. Our loyalties lie to the greater good and to hold back now would be a much greater betrayal than this. We do not have the luxury of debating this any longer. We have voted, the majority ruled that the greater good must come first, before even brother Leo and the day we forget this, this fundimental law governing our very existence, then that day we will be defeated indeed.

For the elders there was no argument against this, and the noise abated as elder after elder orbed away, some in anger, some in shame or disgust, but not one would look at Leo, while they could not be party to the torture ultimately they wouldn't oppose the council. They took with them any remaining hope Leo had and he watched the last one leave with despair.

Divisions over, the remaining elders turned their attention back to Leo with a vengeance and as they advanced he braced himself for the next assault.

The pain was almost more than he could bear and came time after time. Eventually Leo could no longer even register the breaks between the attacks, he vaguely heard Graden appeal to him but the words meant nothing, yet still he hung on to the vial, shattered and broken and beaten and dying all he still knew was that while the potion was with him his son was still safe and that was enough. Then it was over, the world went black and brought with it peace.

When he came to only Graden remained.

"Where?" Even speaking hurt.

"...are the other elders? Oh they've gone to meet with Wyatt" He smirked. "I volunteered to stay behind to heal you, because we are so close."

Every part of Leo's body seemed to scream in agony. He clearly hadn't been healed and this didn't make sense.

For some reason Graden appeared jumpy and inclined to talk. "Ah, you are thinking that you hate me too much to let me heal you. Don't trouble yourself, its not going to happen."

With a lot of effort Leo managed "Why?"

"Why am I still here, or why am I not going to save you?" Graden shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, the real question is why haven't I killed you yet and to that my old friend I have no answer. Its funny, it turns out killing elders is much more difficult than I thought it would be. Perhaps I should be asking you, how many did you kill again?"

"One too few."

"Ha! Thank you Leo, a few more quips like that and I should have no trouble at all" Graden stood up and began to pace nervously, trying to psyche himself up for what he had to do.

Seeing his chance Leo attempted to orb out but the pain was overwhelming and the effort left him winded.

Oblivious, Graden continued to pace. "I wonder if it's over yet?"

In a bid to gain time Leo tried to engage him in conversation. "Why not there?"

Graden walked back to him. "Do you mean apart from my concern for your health? Well I'll let you into a secret, it won't be an elder throwing the potion, Wyatt would see that a mile off, the attack will be from behind, the elders are just there as a diversion."

Leo was appalled. "They'll die."

"Maybe." Graden looked ashamed."I'm not proud of this, but it's for the greater good."

The familiar sound of orbing filled the room, they both recognised Leo's signature jingle, which meant Chris. As his form started to appear Graden turned away from Leo to face his son, hands raised ready for attack. "I'm sorry Leo but I can't afford a witness, this wasn't w....."

He didn't finish.

"NOOOO!" Summoning every remaining last ounce of his strength, fuelled by desperation and despair Leo blasted him with all he had left and taken totally unaware Graden was defenceless. He staggered forward his arms flailing as he tried to retaliate but it was too late, colliding with Chris's forming orb they both fell and by the time Graden hit the ground he was dead, yet so too was Leo.

* * *

_Yes he is and I'm blaming Stony Angel as she took away my other options. Boo! _:(

_I am not sure how crass this might be, but if you liked this story you might like "Righting Future Wrongs" I wrote it first and at this moment, as I am miserabley mourning poor dead Leo, I think its a lot better, well at least less miserable._


	11. Part 11

_See, I promised the next chapter this week and I bet you didn't believe me, some people are too cynical for their own good. It was either this or pack for my holidays._

_Hurray, lots of lovely reviews and Ligia Elena is back too, hurray squared. Seriously, thank you everyone that took the time to comment, I appreciate it. For some reason occasionally I get all pathetic and annoying. I decide the story is absolutely awful, that I can't write for toffee and I try to run away, then I get a kind review and I have another go, without the reviews I probably wouldn't have made it past part one. So more fool you for encouraging me. _

_Oh just one more thing then I'll shut up. In the last part I accidently deleted a line of dialogue between Graden and Leo, it would have told you that although the elders think they have the vanquishing potion they don't, Tiathon does._

* * *

Chris orbed in determined. His eyes, red rimmed, darted through the figures around him, searching in desperation for Wyatt. The periphery of his mind noted the tension in the room, but Chris remained oblivious, what did he care about the petty concerns of others, his father was dead, Leo was dead and Wyatt could stop that, what else could possibley matter? 

Then he saw him, magnificent and invincible and for a moment Chris felt relief, the familiar sensation from childhood of knowing that Wyatt could make everything right. For the first time his befuddled brain registered the elders, why were they here? Did they know about Leo? Had they come for Wyatt's help too? He tried to listen to what his brother was saying.

"...your weak position. Why would my terms to you be different than anyone else. The posi.."

Wyatt broke off as a vial hurtled towards him from the crowd of elders, as he looked at it the bottle exploded, splattering the elders at the front of the group. Wyatt laughed with genuine amusement. "Was that really it? Your best attempt? Even for elders that was pathetic."

The group looked at each other in dismay, their one chance blown and realising that this really was the end with one accord they attacked in earnest. Confused, and torn between fighting for his brother or for good, Chris dithered, watching as Wyatt's bodyguard hurled himself before a lightning streak, aimed at Wyatt. His ash remains fluttered gently to the ground. But it wasn't a safe place for bystanders and before Chris could picked his side he found himself smashed to the floor, hit by a flung elder. "OW!" Pissed off, he put his hand to his temple to wipe away the blood, and for a moment he lay there just trying to work out what the hell was going on.

The din was deafening, explosions, loud thuds, screams and above it all the sound of Wyatt laughing manically. Chris looked around, to see his brother stood defiantly in the centre of the room, lightning and energy balls bouncing off him ricocheting back out to vanquishing their casters. Wyatt himself was throwing elders in all directions and as the room became strewn with their unconscious bodies the survivors began to quickly orb out.

It was then that Chris saw Tiathon, stood at the back of Wyatt, the vanquishing potion in his hand. Chris scrambled to his feet screaming. "WYATT BEHIND YOU!" and Wyatt saw Chris for the first time, in what seemed like slow motion he smile at his brother then turned to see the vial spinning towards him. Wyatt raised his hand and Tiathon exploded in a blast of fire, but still the vial span towards Wyatt. He could have orbed it away, blown it up, turned it into a flock of seagulls, hell he could even have stood to one side and let it pass, but he did none of these things, the potion hit him with an almighty bang and Wyatt crumpled to the floor.

Chris just stood there, transfixed by the prostrate form on the floor. In all his life Wyatt had never suffered so much as a scratch, and now this, it was just....well wrong. He had felt ambivalent, but not any more. He needed Wyatt to be OK, not to save Leo but because he was his big brother, the brother he'd played orb and seek with, the brother who'd looked after him when his Mom died, the brother who had sometimes switched powers with him. That was it! Chris could do that now, and suddenly alive, praying he wasn't too late Chris was by Wyatt's side, chanting the well known spell.

**"What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine, let our powers cross the line, **

**I offer up this gift to share, switch our powers through the air."**

Nothing happened. Wyatt opened his eyes, his breath slow and heavy. "Hey little man, still trying to save me?"

Chris forced a smile. "You bet, it's nothing personal but Mom made me promise when she died."

Wyatt started to laugh. "You too huh, she's one sneaky witch. I can't wait to haunt her for a change. Do you think I'll be allowed to see her in the other place?" His laugh became a cough racking his suddenly fragile looking body.

Chris tried the spell again, still nothing. Wyatt must be blocking it, for the first time Chris thought about how Wyatt had almost invited the potion.

"Wy listen to me, you've got to let me in so we can swap powers, I need to heal you."

Wyatt turned his head away. "No. I don't want anymore. Its just too hard. You can't believe how lonely it is, I've had enough Chris." He paused for a second. "Do you think Leo knows? I wish he'd have come."

Chris hesitated, should he lie? No, he couldn't let Wyatt think Leo didn't care. "He would if he could believe me. Wyatt he's, he's dead."

Chris looked around at the dead and unconscious elders around him and finally figuring out what must have happened up there. "The elders killed him, he was trying to protect you."

This brought a smile to Wyatt's face. "Really? Bastards I should have killed them all."

Chris saw an opening. "That's why you need to let me in, if I can heal you, you can heal Dad, we can save him together."

Wyatt looked at him and said sadly. "I can't. The potion took away my powers, think about it Chris, it had too otherwise I would have healed myself."

"Oh!" Momentarily defeated Chris could think of nothing else to say.

Wyatt's head slumped back as though the effort of talking was draining him. His voice was lower now, almost a whisper. "I've missed you little man. I'm glad you're here, I don't feel so hated."

Tears were falling freely from Chris now. "Hey for someone so hated you've got a lot of people trying to save you, willing to die for you and not just family."

Wyatt looked towards the pile of dust. "He was a nice kid, half manticore, apparently we played together as babies."

Chris looked at the mound then back to Wyatt who was beginning to rambling. "He thought I was some kind of saviour, making the world a better place for the misfits."

His eyes were glassy and he said in a panicky voice "Chris! Are you still there?"

"Not going anywhere bro" Chris took his brother's hand squeezing it tightly.

Reassured Wyatt kept talking. "The Alliance, my alliance, it's not evil, I'm proud of it, maybe not how I made it but it's a good thing. You've worked with Demons, they are not all bad."

Chris wiped the tears from his face. "No, no they're not."

Wyatt smiled. "I wish you'd been with me, maybe we could have done it right."

"We still can" No this couldn't be it, he had to be able to do something, maybe Piper could help, maybe the power of three, maybe another elder, he looked at the corpses, perhaps not.

"You'd have done that, joined me?" Wyatt gripped his brother's hand, surprised.

"Sure Wyatt, we can do it together" He looked down at his brothers wane face, and felt helpless, even if there were someone left to help, it was too late.

Wyatt looked eager. "No more killing, a proper alliance with willing parties."

"Sounds like a good plan" Chris's voice was breaking.

Wyatt smiled faintly. "Your just lying to me because I'm dying."

"No, you and me, the Charmed 2."

Wyatt sighed and relaxed at last. Chris felt his hand go limp.

"No! not again, please God not again."

He put his hand to his brother's face and gently closed his eyes.

* * *

Chris crouched with his head in his hands, feeling numb, lonelier than he had ever been in his life. In his mind he saw all of the times he had been estranged from his family, all those years, those stupid, wasted years. He would give anything to have some of that time now; he just wanted them back so much it hurt. He needed to go find Bianca but somehow he couldn't leave his brother, knowing that when he did Wyatt and Leo would be dead for real. 

He thought about Piper. Did she know already, was she disappointed in him? If he hadn't argued with her, if he'd gone to look for Leo earlier, maybe things would have been different. He could have saved them.

Through the corner of his eye he thought he saw a movement in Wyatts chest, there it was again. It looked like, it looked like, no it couldn't be, he woul..."...YOU SICK BASTARD!"

Wyatt started to laugh. "Guess that means I'm busted" He stood up, the glamour spell lifted and his very healthy self grinned at Chris "Hey you were the one who wanted to take back all the wasted years, now's your chance."

"You listened to my thoughts, you..." The rest of what he said disappeared as he ran at Wyatt punching. Wyatt dodged then grabbed Chris from behind pinning down his arms, furious Chris struggled like a mad man until he heard Wyatt say almost in a whisper. "I really did miss you little man" and feeling suddenly overcome by the emotions he had been through Chris just slumped in his brother's arms, too weary to fight anymore.

Eventually Wyatt released him and Chris just stared, unable to comprehend such cruelty. "Why"

Wyatt muttered something, then seeing Chris hadn't heard angrily repeated himself. "I just wanted to know if you'd be sad."

Chris's mouth dropped and he started to laugh, Wyatt bristled, then after a moment joined him and it was some time before either could talk.

Wiping the tears from his eyes Chris eventually managed to ask, "So, how did you manage to survive the potion."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Are you serious, you really think I'd leave a spell, with written instructions, pictures even, saying how to kill me in the book"

"You defiled the book!" It seemed a sacrilege to Chris.

"Didn't you get the memo, I was evil." Wyatt walked over to the pile of Mark.

Chris watched him curious. "Can you heal him?"

"Yes but its tricky, I'll need to restore his body first, not sure how but I'll work it out." Wyatt orbed the bits into a container and without looking at Chris said "So, about our partnership, or don't you keep death bed promises anymore?"

"You didn't die"

"That's not the point, I might have done. How about it, I meant what I said, come and save me." He grinned. "It's your raison d'etra."

Chris was taken aback. "I didn't think that...well...its just...you can't be serious?"

"Never more so. I meant what I said it could be different. We could make it as different as you like."

Chris gaped, not sure what to say. Now he'd got his brother back he didn't want to lose him, but the Alliance was everything he had been fighting for years, his friends had died to resist it. To join now would be a betrayal too far. Suddenly remembering that his brother could read his thoughts Chris looked up to see Wyatt watching him.

"I see. I can't change what's happened Chris, however much I might want to, neither of us can, even if we go back in time. " Wyatt smiled gravely. "You of all people should know that. The only choice we have is to live in the past rehashing everything that's happened or we try and move on make things better."

It made sense and he believed him, the Alliance could be a force for good for everyone but still, he thought of Tom and Clara who'd died by Wyatt's orders, then Bianca who'd been saved. He needed to get away, to think things through. "I...."

"...need to get away and think things through, I know" Wyatt sighed. "Just don't take too long". He became more business like. "Now, where exactly is Dad?"

* * *

Wyatt looked around him furious. "But it's my plan." 

"I know honey and we are all grateful for the thought." Prue coughed her own dissent pointedly but Piper ignored her, continuing. "It's just we don't think it's right, it's not what we want."

"No one minded when I resurrected Mark and Chris." Why did they always have to make everything so difficult?

Piper, seeing his frustration, sighed, this was even harder than she thought it would be. "That was different, they were too young to die. Its just, we've had our time."

"Mom you're not old". He looked at her thoughtfully, then round at his Aunts, was that it, their problem? "I could maybe bring you back younger."

Phoebe looked interested. "Really?" then off her sister's looks "What, I was just asking."

Wyatt turned to Leo for support "You too Dad, surely you don't agree with this?"

Leo smiled at Piper. "Definitely."

Wyatt sat down crestfallen. "It was my plan, I just wanted to make it up to you"

Piper sat next to him and took her son's hand. "I'm so sorry Baby, forgive me."

He looked at her dully. "What for?"

For making you think that my life was so crap. It wasn't. Magic didn't ruin my life, it hurt me sometimes, a lot, and maybe I bitched about it from time to time" she glared at the rest of the group who wisely stayed silent. "but it's who I am and I wouldn't have had a different life even if I could."

He looked at her sceptically. "What even when Prue died, or dad left?"

"Well maybe not then, but bad things happen to everyone, magical or not. Losing the people I loved was hard, but magic brought me everything in my life that I've ever valued, it was never a curse Wyatt and I'm sorry I let you think it was."

Wyatt couldn't believe her. "I don't buy that. You'd have been happy without it and the fighting, happy with us, all of us"

But I wouldn't have had you. You don't understand, I only met your Dad through magic and without him there would be no you, do you think I would change that for a second. As for my sisters, before we were witches Prue and Phoebe couldn't be together in the same room and I doubt we'd have met Paige even if she existed".

Paige interrupted "Well that's me definitely supporting the magic version of your life."

Piper carried on. "I wouldn't have even had the businesses with out the confidence I got from being a witch, you have no idea how timid I was."

Her son looked at her in amazement, the thought of his Mom being timid was inconceivable.

She reached out and smoothed a loose strand of hair from his face. "I might not have always shown it but my life was blessed in so many ways. How many women get to be loved by an angel who is willing to become mortal for her, or to spend their lives making the world a better place, or have two such amazing sons. My life was wonderful, but now its over and we" She put her hand out to Leo who took it. "have a different existence that will be just as good.

She turned back to her son. "Let it go Wyatt, let me go and make your own wonderful life.."

Finally accepting the truth of what she said but seeing his dreams in tatters he just felt lost and empty. "I don't want to be on my own anymore."

She smiled at him tenderly. "Baby, you'll never be alone, you know that. If you need me, us, any of us, we will be there, always, I promise even if it's just to talk."

"Great, I can hang around with dead people, do you know how sad that sounds?"

"Don't I count then?" Chris had come in unnoticed.

Wyatt looked at him sulkily. "I thought you didn't want to know me."

"Yeah, well I thought you weren't that dim, guess we were both wrong and I'm not sure that's such a good start to a partnership."

Wyatt looked a bit more enthusiastic. "So who changed your mind?"

Chris glanced around at his family. "Pretty much just about everybody, that's some fan club you've got there Wy. Apparently, its not where you've come from but where you're going that counts."

Seeing the look in Wyatt's eyes he knew he'd made the right decision, but he couldn't stop himself from adding. " But just so you know, I won't be answering to you."

Wyatt raised an eyebrow. "Thats just as well the shock would kill me." That bodyguard was definitely due a raise.

Chris stretched out his hand. "So, partners?"

Wyatt took it. "Oh no, so much better than that, family". And he grinned, happy at last.

* * *

Ok, finally finished, hope it wasn't a disappointment or cop out, pretty much everybody died one way or another, I think I might have been overcompensating for last time. Unfortunately this means that apart from my vacation I have nothing stopping me going back to Elucidating Leo and that one is really hard story. I'd sort of hoped everyone had just forgotten about it but W**ickedwms** you are my conscience. 


End file.
